US Weighs Precision Strikes On Iranian Officials As Govt Is 'Weakest' Since 1979

On the one hand there are reports that the Trump administration "is open for business" when it comes to negotiations with Iran. "If they want to talk, and they know our terms, we are open to have a conversation," a senior US official has told Axios. But on the other, amid this 'openness' toward cutting a deal (presumably on the nuclear and ballistic missile fronts), President Trump is said to be weighing a menu of escalation options aimed squarely at forcing regime change in the Islamic Republic, according to fresh regional and US reporting.

Middle East Eye, citing Arab officials, reports that Washington is actively considering direct strikes on senior targets in Tehran. "The US is weighing precision strikes on 'high-value' Iranian officials and commanders who it deems responsible for the deaths of protesters, a Gulf official familiar with the discussions told Middle East Eye."

The Jerusalem Post reports that another option under discussion is a full blockade of Iranian oil exports - a replay of last year's Venezuela playbook. That campaign saw Washington impose an embargo, seize oil tankers, and ultimately kidnap Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the Jan.3rd military raid on Caracas.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has emerged as a leading advocate of economic warfare, arguing that collapsing Iran's economy would create conditions severe enough to trigger an internal uprising against the government, or starve the system until it breaks (as also happened in Iran's ally Syria). US Treasury days ago began hitting Tehran officials with new protest-related sanctions.

Other senior officials are pushing for a more kinetic approach. Members of Trump's Cabinet have urged targeted military strikes against Iranian government and military assets, but say these could be limited in scope akin to military action in the June 12-day war involving Israel.

Earlier this month, Trump reportedly held back from striking Iran, citing concerns that the Pentagon lacked sufficient forces in the region to decisively topple the government, also at a moment the US Navy strike force was built up on the southern Caribbean.

But a former US official told Middle East Eye that the odds of a strike are now higher than they were just weeks ago. Currently there's a major military buildup ensuing across the Middle East, including the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group (the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group), additional fighter jets, and advanced air defense systems - signaling 'all options' are indeed on the table.

Protests is in Iran have long gone quiet, but what has changed? The NY Times reports Tuesday:

President Trump has received multiple U.S. intelligence reports indicating that the Iranian government’s position is weakening, according to several people familiar with the information.

The reports signal that the Iranian government’s hold on power is at its weakest point since the shah was overthrown in the 1979 revolution.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-weighs-precision-strikes-iranian-officials-govt-weakest-1979

Federal Officials Refer Minnesota To DOJ For Allowing Boys In Girls' Sports

The referral came from the Education Department (ED) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which concluded in September that the state violated Title IX’s prohibition on sex-based discrimination in federally funded education.

In a news release on Monday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon accused state officials of failing to uphold federal law.

“Despite repeated opportunities to comply with Title IX, Minnesota has chosen defiance—continuing to jeopardize the safety of women and girls, deny them fair competition, and erode their right to equal access in educational programs and activities,” McMahon said. “The Trump Administration will not stop until accountability is delivered for Minnesota’s students.”

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said the federal government “will not look the other way” on this matter.

“When states allow males to compete in girls’ sports, they deny young women and girls the protections the law guarantees,” he said in the release.

The referral came amid escalating tensions between the Minnesota officials and the Trump administration, which has taken a number of recent executive actions in response to concerns about the fraudulent use of federal money in the state.

“Today’s letter notifies Minnesota that ED and HHS will refer the matter to DOJ for proceedings, which could result in termination of Minnesota’s Federal funding from ED and HHS,” the news release states.

Last year, an investigation by the administration determined that Minnesota’s education department and its official high school athletic league violated Title IX by allowing males to both compete in multiple female sports programs and occupy female-only bathrooms and locker rooms as well.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/federal-officials-refer-minnesota-doj-allowing-boys-girls-sports

Ilhan Omar Opposes Immigration Enforcement and Fraud Investigations in Which She Is Named

Sorry, Trump, your support is collapsing and you’re panicking.

Right on cue, you’re deflecting from your failures with lies and conspiracy theories about me. Years of “investigations" have found nothing.

Get your goons out of Minnesota.

https://x.com/IlhanMN/status/2015818278728257569

CIA setting up outpost in Venezuela – CNN

The agency’s work in Caracas will reportedly follow the Ukraine playbook

The CIA is “quietly working” to set up a permanent presence in Venezuela in order to shape the country’s post-Maduro future, CNN reported on Tuesday. The network’s sources say the CIA plans to run Venezuela like it did Ukraine after 2014.

While the US State Department plans to eventually open an official embassy in Caracas, establishing a CIA “annex” is “priority number one,” an anonymous US source told CNN. Operating out of this outpost, agents will make contact with acting President Delcy Rodriguez’ government and opposition parties, and “target third parties who may be threats,” the source said.

“Before diplomatic channels the annex can help set up liaison channels… that will allow conversations that diplomats cannot have,” a former US official told the network.

The CIA refused to comment, but its presence in Venezuela is no secret. US President Donald Trump authorized the agency to conduct covert operations in Venezuela last October, three months before President Nicolas Maduro was abducted by US special forces.

Following the raid, CIA Director John Ratcliffe was the first senior American official to visit Venezuela to meet with Rodriguez and her military chiefs.

The agency’s work in Venezuela will mirror its “work in Ukraine,” CNN reported. The CIA’s work in Ukraine began in earnest in February 2014, after President Viktor Yanukovich was overthrown in a US-orchestrated coup. According to a New York Times report, the CIA immediately took over management of Ukraine’s secret police agency, the SBU, and its military intelligence agency, the HUR.

The Americans helped the Ukrainians set up paramilitary units, and trained Ukrainian agents on conducting covert operations within Russia under false identities. CIA-trained operatives assassinated two key Donetsk separatist commanders in the following years, and were engaged in a “shadow war” with Russia long before 2022, the Times reported.

By 2022, Ukrainian spies were operating “inside Russia, across Europe, and in Cuba,” while the CIA had constructed a dozen secret bases along Russia’s western border, according to the report.

https://www.rt.com/news/631607-cia-base-venezuela-ukraine/

MAHA Bait and Switch? Trump’s EPA Calls for Review of Fluoride Science While Ignoring Historic Ruling on Fluoride

The MAHA movement ought to celebrate that the harms associated with fluoride are finally being debated, but it should not turn a blind eye to the EPA’s efforts to sidestep the 2024 federal ruling that ordered the agency to take regulatory action.

On Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans for an “accelerated review” of the risks posed by fluoride in public drinking water. The move has been celebrated by some within the so-called Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, but criticized by others who argue that the EPA is ignoring a 2024 federal court ruling, which found fluoride to be harmful to the neurodevelopment of children.

As part of the announcement, the EPA released a document titled “Fluoride Human Health Toxicity Assessment: Preliminary Assessment Plan and Literature Survey” that detailed the agency’s plans for reviewing the science on water fluoridation.

The document states that the EPA will draw conclusions regarding the “harmful human health effects of fluoride” or determine the levels of fluoride exposure associated with harmful health effects as part of a forthcoming draft human health toxicity assessment. The agency states that it will consider sensitive populations, including infants and children.

“Every American should be able to count on safe, healthy drinking water when they pour a glass to drink or use it to cook a meal, especially for a child,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. ”The Trump EPA is working in lockstep with Secretary Kennedy and following gold standard science to guide our next steps to protect drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act.”

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/health/maha-bait-and-switch-trumps-epa-calls-for-review-of-fluoride-science-while-ignoring-historic-ruling-on-fluoride

Coinbase CEO Backs Chinese Communist Party’s Move to Control Crypto.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has heaped praise on the Chinese Communist Party’s digital currency policies, suggesting the U.S. could learn from China in implementing what is effectively a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The argument over CBDCs continues to rage in the United States. Early in his second term, President Trump issued an executive order “to protect Americans from the risks of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).”

This didn’t stop Armstrong from praising China’s decision to pay interest on its digital yuan, claiming it benefits ordinary people and serves as a competitive advantage. The replies were not as keen, with X users noting, “China’s version is a CBDC at best. Not a stablecoin. Although they looked and sounded the same but they are not.”Another said, critically: “How to get people to use your dystopian CBDC: pay them interest. It’s textbook marketing, luring the mice with free cheese.”The interest program is aimed at addressing low adoption rates of the digital yuan, with commercial banks subsidizing the effort rather than the central bank.

Armstrong’s surprising missive comes as Coinbase faces pressure from U.S. banking lobbyists over stablecoin yield-sharing programs. The GENIUS Act, passed in July 2025, allows platforms like Coinbase to offer stablecoin rewards, but banking groups are lobbying to eliminate this provision, arguing it threatens traditional banking deposits.

The Coinbase CEO recently told Bloomberg that Bitcoin could still hit $1,000,000 by 2030, despite the cryptocurrency’s price stabilizing around $87,500 per coin in recent months.

https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/01/27/coinbase-ceo-backs-chinese-communist-partys-move-to-control-crypto/

https://www.antiwar.com/

Major US companies speak out against Alex Pretti shooting: Full list

Dozens of Minnesota-based firms have publicly expressed their concerns with federal immigration enforcement activities following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

On Sunday, Minnesota’s Chamber of Commerce released an open letter signed by more than 60 businesses and CEOs warning that the actions of federal immigration agents had sown “widespread disruption” in the state and led to the “tragic loss of life.”

“We are calling for an immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions,” the letter read.

Newsweek has contacted the White House, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Minnesota’s Chamber of Commerce for comment.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/major-us-companies-speak-out-against-alex-pretti-shooting-full-list/ar-AA1UZNCa

Trump endorses top swamp donkey Mike Johnson. The swamp gets endorsed, not drained.

https://citizenwatchreport.com/trump-endorses-top-swamp-donkey-mike-johnson-the-swamp-gets-endorsed-not-drained/

Chicago Teacher Placed on Leave Over Facebook Post Expressing Support for ICE

A Chicago-area elementary school teacher has been placed on administrative leave after daring to express support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on his personal Facebook account.

According to Fox News, the teacher, who worked at Gary Elementary School in West Chicago, posted a simple message last week: “GO ICE.”

That was enough to trigger a full-scale meltdown from activists in the heavily Hispanic community, who immediately launched a coordinated campaign to have the teacher fired.

A flyer circulated online alongside a Change.org petition demanding the teacher’s termination and urging parents to keep their children home from school in protest.

One user wrote:

“To be clear — I will be keeping my kids home in solidarity with families in our community and across the country who are living in fear because of ICE, and as a clear message to [redacted] that what he posted is not acceptable to me. This is not about forcing the district to act prematurely or bypass due process—which could invite costly federal litigation or a national spotlight that brings ICE back to terrorize our community.

I do believe [redacted] needs to fully feel how hurtful and alienating his words were. An empty school makes it unmistakable that his views do not align with this community. Ideally, that discomfort will lead him to choose employment elsewhere—without the district being pressured to violate due process or risk inviting additional danger into our community. He must be held accountable for the harm caused, even as we allow proper process to run its course. I trust the district to handle this responsibly and with care.”

Fox News Digital reported it could not independently locate the Facebook post, and the teacher’s account appears to have been deleted.

In an email to parents obtained by Fox News Digital, West Chicago Elementary School District 33 Superintendent Kristina Davis revealed that the teacher initially submitted a resignation on Friday, then withdrew it before the school board could act, allowing him to report to work on Monday.

“The district has obtained legal counsel to conduct an investigation beginning on Monday,” Davis wrote.

“The district will share additional information as appropriate. District 33 remains committed to providing safe, caring, and inclusive learning environments for all students. Thank you for your continued partnership.”

By Monday afternoon, the district confirmed the teacher had been placed on administrative leave following a meeting with district leadership.

“On Thursday, January 22, 2026, the District learned of concerns regarding a disruptive social media comment made by a District employee on his personal account,” the district said in a statement.

The district added, “Following a meeting with District administration today, the employee involved has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation and will not be permitted on any District property while on leave.”

https://www.womensystems.com/2026/01/chicago-teacher-placed-on-leave-over.html

Labour opens door to 15 minute cities across UK

Labour has approved a rollout of “Stalinist” 15-minute cities across the UK, The Telegraph can reveal.

Ministers have said that they will allow councils to use driver licence databases to impose fines on drivers who fall foul of “traffic filters”, which restrict driving in certain areas.

The controls on motorists, which are to be implemented for the first time in Oxford city centre later this year, have been described as “perverse” by motor groups.

The 15-minute city is based on the idea that a person can access amenities within a quarter of an hour by walking or cycling. In some cases, this could result in traffic restrictions being brought in for drivers.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/e4fa664b08f27cd7

Predictive programming on the future

Note the terms symbolic of districts and restrictions of travel

https://youtu.be/Ng1U4LMZz7Y

By predicts he means they are planning it

Israel's cyber chief predicts cyberwar between offensive, defensive AI agents

Israel's National Cyber Directorate handled a 55% increase of cyberattacks in 2025 compared to the previous year, Yossi Karadi revealed at the Cybertech Conference in Tel Aviv.

Just around the corner, the world will see a full-fledged cyber war led by artificial intelligence (AI) offensive and defensive agents, Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD) Chief Yossi Karadi said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Cybertech Conference in Tel Aviv, Karadi warned of a doomsday scenario in which energy, transportation, telecommunications, and other industries would be hacked to grind countries to a complete halt, in some cases directly threatening people's lives.

During his speech, Karadi also revealed the scope of serious cyber incidents handled by the Directorate in 2025: more than 26,000, a 55% increase compared to 2024.

According to Karadi, the three most targeted sectors in 2025 were the financial sector, government institutions, and digital service providers.

He said many of the incidents were detected and halted without causing damage, while others caused significant harm to affected organizations, connected entities, or information assets.

The Jerusalem Post understands that "many" could be around two-thirds, while the harms were mostly to data, given that a major hack of critical infrastructure would likely have been publicized.

Karadi emphasized that the proposed Cyber Security Law, whose memorandum was published for public consultation a few days ago, marks a historic milestone:

"For the first time, the law will define what national cyber defense means in Israel. It will regulate the obligations of essential organizations and digital service providers to meet security standards in order to protect public security and daily life, and will establish reporting, supervision, and enforcement mechanisms to handle significant cyber incidents," said Karadi.

Further, he states, "The law aligns Israel with international standards and anchors cybersecurity as a national interest, rather than a voluntary decision by each organization."

Karadi also presented Israel’s new national multi-year cyber plan, focusing on three core pillars: cloud security, Cyber-AI, and readiness for the quantum era.

At the same time, he said that the program promotes strengthening national infrastructure, detection and response capabilities, national defensive platforms, and the establishment of national labs for artificial intelligence and deepfake technologies.

In addition, Karadi highlighted the importance of close cooperation between the government and Israel’s cyber industry, as well as international partnerships:

"We cannot choose when the next war will break out – but we can choose to be ready. The government sets strategy and leads national defense, but it is Israel’s cyber industry, with its innovation, agility, and operational experience, that enables Israel to be prepared for the first cyber-based war."

In this context, Karadi noted that in the past month, Israel signed a strategic cybersecurity cooperation agreement with Germany and launched a Maritime Cybersecurity Center of Excellence together with Greece and Cyprus.

On December 9, Karadi revealed that Iran used cyber weapons to try to target every citizen in Israel multiple times during the 12-day June war.

In the same speech in December, Karadi said that 1,200 social engineering hacking operations, each targeting thousands of Israelis, occurred during the war with the Islamic Republic in June.

https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-884683

Three Journalists Killed in Israeli Airstrike, Including CBS Cameraman

CBS Refuses to Denounce Israel for the Killing

Three Palestinian journalists – including longtime CBS News freelance cameraman Abed Shaat – were killed on Wednesday, January 21, when an Israeli airstrike hit their vehicle in the Al-Zahra area southwest of Gaza City, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency. The Israel Defense Forces said troops struck “suspects” operating a drone “affiliated with Hamas,” while the Egyptian Relief Committee said the targeted vehicle was on a marked humanitarian mission. CBS mourned Shaat, but its published story did not denounce Israel for the strike.

Civil defense officials identified the other two journalists killed as Mohammed Salah Qashta and Anas Ghneim. An eyewitness said the journalists were using a drone to take images of aid distribution connected to the Egyptian Relief Committee when a vehicle accompanying them was hit. The aid group confirmed one of its vehicles was targeted and said its cars “bear the committee’s logo,” calling it a criminal attack on a humanitarian mission.

Shaat’s reporting was part of the daily logistics of covering Gaza from inside Gaza. CBS said he filmed video from Khan Yunis throughout the war, including from an ambulance after he was wounded. He was 30 and had married two weeks before he was killed. After the ceasefire began in October, he joined the Egyptian humanitarian committee to document relief operations.

The IDF says the drone posed a threat and that the incident is under review. But Israel’s military did not respond when asked how it knew the drone was Hamas-affiliated or whether it had identified the targets as journalists, who are protected under international humanitarian law. The Post also reported the vehicle was marked with an Egyptian flag and located more than a mile west of Israel’s “Yellow Line” boundary.

The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned Israel’s strike on what it described as a clearly marked civilian vehicle and called for a transparent investigation. UNESCO’s director-general likewise condemned the killings and cited U.N. Security Council Resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists as civilians in conflict.

This story lands inside a newsroom already in upheaval. Paramount installed Bari Weiss as CBS News editor-in-chief in October 2025 after acquiring her outlet, The Free Press, promising “balanced and fact-based” journalism. But “balance” is doing a lot of work, as The Free Press has covered the Gaza war from an “unambiguously pro-Israeli” point of view.

On the Shaat story itself, CBS ran a “Go deeper with The Free Press” box linking to a segment titled “WATCH: Gazan Journalists Say Al Jazeera Works Hand in Glove with Hamas,” a curious add-on to an article about Israel killing a CBS contributor. Tony Dokoupil – promoted under Weiss’s leadership to anchor the “CBS Evening News” beginning January 2026 – has been criticized by commentators for echoing the IDF’s drone allegation in brief coverage of the killings, leaving the accusation louder than the evidence.

https://news.antiwar.com/2026/01/26/three-journalists-killed-in-israeli-airstrike-including-cbs-cameraman/

WATCH: TikTok's new CEO, Adam Presser, told the World Jewish Congress last year how TikTok banned criticism of "Zionists."

You can say, "You're a proud Zionist," but if you're calling someone a "Zionist" as a pejorative, then "that gets designated as hate speech," he said.

https://twitter.com/i/status/2015219910775816670

Ben Shapiro whines for President Trump to strike Iran: "Iran didn't just cross [Trump's] red line, they jumped over it with both feet!"

https://twitter.com/i/status/2014459413537358306

Zionist Mark Levin urges Trump to strike Iran and kill their Supreme Leader and his family.

"That regime needs to be wiped off the map now!" Levin barks.

"Khamenei, his family, and that inner circle needs to be taken out," he adds.

America could be nuked in the future if Trump doesn't act, he insists.

https://x.com/i/status/2015749387909992578