Thursday, January 22, 2026

January 22, 2026

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

SCOTUS Doesn't Seem To Buy Trump's Reasons For Rushing To Fire Lisa Cook . . . The Supreme Court signaled little appetite for racing President Donald Trump's bid to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, pressing the administration on why the case was fast-tracked without a full factual record. Justices questioned the urgency behind Cook's firing over mortgage fraud allegations, noting lower courts never examined the evidence. Skepticism centered on whether the "for cause" standard was met or simply asserted. Daily Caller

Politics

In Bipartisan Votes, House Panel Advances Clintons' Contempt Citations . . . In rare bipartisan votes, the House Oversight Committee advanced contempt of Congress citations against Bill Clinton and, more narrowly, Hillary Clinton after both refused subpoenas in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Lawmakers pressed for testimony about ties to the convicted sex offender, framing the defiance as open resistance to congressional authority. The citations now head to the full House, spotlighting elite accountability gaps Democrats and Republicans alike acknowledge. Daily Signal

They need to go to jail, where they have both belonged for many years. Especially her.

Virginia Gov. Spanberger abandons moderate election ruse, embraces leftism

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) told CNN he is seriously considering running for president in 2028.

Judge halts FBI search of Washington Post reporter's devices . . . A federal judge temporarily blocked the Justice Department from searching devices seized from Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, raising fresh alarms over press freedom and government overreach. U.S. Magistrate Judge William Porter stopped prosecutors as he weighs whether the FBI must return the equipment, taken under a warrant tied to a classified leak probe. Natanson argues the seizure violates the First Amendment, putting federal power under scrutiny. Daily Wire

Left In The Cold: Newsom Says He Was Denied Entry To U.S. Delegation HQ In Davos

Culture

Trump FCC chair targets late-night shows over equal-time rules . . . President Donald Trump's top TV regulator is warning broadcasters against political favoritism. FCC Chair Brendan Carr issued guidance pressing late-night and daytime shows to give political candidates equal airtime, singling out bookings driven by partisan motives. The move revives debate over free speech and federal reach, as the administration signals it's willing to challenge entertainment media long accused of tilting the political playing field. Politico

Votehub finds MLB players lean red as WNBA goes deep blue . . . A VoteHub study shows Major League Baseball has the highest share of Republican-registered players at 53 percent, topping all major pro leagues, while the NHL follows at 43 percent. The WNBA sits at the opposite extreme, with 67 percent of athletes registered Democrats. The NBA also skews blue, while the NFL lands fractured, heavy on independents and light on GOP affiliation. The Hill

It would seem in this case that "independent" is a very polite term for "I have no idea what the F is going on."

National Security

Trump floats Greenland deal after NATO talks in Davos . . . President Donald Trump says a framework is in place for a future deal involving Greenland after meeting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Davos, reviving his long-running push to reshape control of the Arctic. Following the talks, Trump signaled leverage by suspending planned February tariffs on European countries opposing the move, casting the negotiations as both strategic and economic pressure on reluctant allies. Daily Wire

ICE accused of secret home-entry policy under Trump order . . . A whistleblower alleges ICE quietly adopted a policy allowing agents to force entry into the homes of illegal immigrant targets without a judicial warrant. The guidance relies on internal administrative warrants and cites President Donald Trump's executive order as authority. Revealed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the policy raises alarms about constitutional limits, granting immigration officers sweeping power without review by a neutral judge. Washington Times

DHS sweeps into Maine in 'catch of the day' crackdown

The Department of Homeland Security rolled immigration agents into Maine under Operation Catch of the Day, targeting criminal illegal aliens already convicted of violent offenses. ICE arrests include offenders guilty of aggravated assault and endangering a child, underscoring federal concern that dangerous criminals slipped through the cracks. DHS officials say the operation focuses on the worst offenders, signaling a sharper enforcement push after years of lax border consequences. Daily Signal

What We Know of the Rumored 'Sonic Weapon' in Maduro Capture

International

Hamas stockpiles weapons in Gaza as Trump peace plan advances . . . Israeli forces uncovered a major Hamas weapons cache in southern Gaza, signaling the terror group is rearming even as the U.S. pushes phase two of President Donald Trump's peace plan requiring disarmament. The IDF found dozens of AK-47s, RPGs, and ammunition hidden underground near the ceasefire line. Military leaders warn the buildup points to preparations for renewed attacks, with Israel readying for a possible spring ground offensive.

China's spies burrow into Taiwan . . . Taiwan warns that Beijing's spies are already embedded across the island, positioned to ease a Chinese military strike. A March counterintelligence campaign ordered by President Lai Ching-te has led to arrests that expose a fast-evolving espionage apparatus mixing human assets with new technology. Officials call it a serious national security threat, designed to weaken defenses, manipulate opinion, and erode resistance as China presses its claim over Taiwan. Wall Street Journal

Money

The Uproar Over Affordability Is Coming for Insurers . . . Insurance companies are posting near-record profits after jacking up home and auto rates, intensifying political blowback over affordability. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is pushing profit caps to force insurers with outsized margins to justify or cut rates, while revisiting refund thresholds for auto policies. Similar proposals are surfacing in states like Oklahoma, putting an industry long shielded from scrutiny squarely in regulators' crosshairs. Wall Street Journal

You should also know

Winter storm set to slam 30 states as emergency orders spread . . . Governors declared states of emergency as a massive winter storm barrels toward the U.S., threatening over a foot of snow across wide stretches of the country. More than 200 million people in 30 states face warnings from Friday through Sunday, with forecasters signaling worse ahead. Temperatures in the Dakotas and Michigan could plunge 30 degrees below normal, with brutal wind chills nearing 50 below zero. Daily Mail

Uvalde officer cleared as jury rejects charges over school shooting response . . . A jury acquitted former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzales of criminal charges tied to the delayed law enforcement response at Robb Elementary, where 21 people were killed in 2022. Jurors rejected claims that Gonzales abandoned children during the initial moments of the attack, sparing him potential prison time. The verdict underscores the legal hurdles in assigning criminal blame for institutional failure amid one of America's deadliest school shootings. Associated Press

Guilty Pleasures

Austrian cow breaks ground by using sticks as tools . . . Researchers in Austria documented the first known case of a cow using tools, after observing a Swiss brown cow named Veronika repeatedly scratching herself with sticks and brushes. The University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna found the behavior deliberate and refined, with Veronika choosing different ends of a brush for different parts of her body. The findings, published in Current Biology, challenge assumptions about animal intelligence. UPI

I remember when we were forced in school to watch Jane Goodall hang out with apes. And she was tremendously excited that gorillas used "tools," supposedly the only animal to do so. Then it turned out that they were licking a blade of grass and plunging it into an ant hill to get ants. And I'm like, "That's not exactly a tool now, is it." I thought they were manufacturing screwdrivers or something. Anyway, congratulation to cows for joining the club.

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