January 13, 2026
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Welcome to the news for independent thinkers
Leading the News . . .
Trump Allies and Officials Fear Blowback From Powell Probe . . . Concerns are mounting inside the Trump administration that the Justice Department's criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell could backfire politically and economically. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent privately warned President Trump the probe could spook financial markets and complicate Senate confirmation of the next Fed chair. Those fears materialized quickly when Sen. Thom Tillis said he would block any Trump nominee until the investigation is resolved, threatening to stall the process outright. Wall Street Journal
My brain hurts because it's hard to decide if this move is more corrupt or stupid. If Trump was not aware of this, then whoever came up with it needs to be fired immediately. Some reports point to Federal Housing Finance Agency Bill Pulte, the same bully who concocted the case against Fed Governor Lisa Cook. If you sic prosecutors on any adult with more than a checking account, you can probably find a crime, and that kind of targeting is what's going on here. And it's not even revenge, it's over differences of policy. No amount of lawfare conducted by Biden and the Democrats makes this justified.
Politics
Vaccine doubts could cost GOP swing seats . . . New polling from President Trump's longtime survey shop warns Republicans flirting with vaccine schedule changes may get burned in purple House districts. The data, drawn from voters in 35 razor-thin races, shows candidates of either party who back rolling back long-standing childhood vaccine requirements face an electoral hit uh. In contests that will decide House control, vaccine skepticism is shaping up as a quiet but costly liability. Daily Signal
House Judiciary Committee to hear Jack Smith testimony next week
Kelly sues after Pentagon moves to strip rank . . . Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly is suing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the Trump administration moved to slash his retired military rank and pension. The clash stems from Kelly's public call for troops to defy illegal orders, which the Pentagon labeled reckless misconduct. Filed in Washington, the lawsuit escalates a fight over discipline, dissent, and who sets the rules for the armed forces under Donald Trump. Daily Signal
Newsom unloads on California wealth tax proposal: 'Makes no sense'
Pittsburgh agency boosts Democratic Socialists' disobedience class . . . A Pittsburgh government agency is drawing scrutiny after promoting a civil disobedience event hosted by local leftist groups. The city's Commission on Human Relations reposted ads for a three-hour class organized by the Democratic Socialists of America and the 50501 Movement. The session will feature an unnamed activist trainer and civil rights lawyer Mike Healey, with critics questioning why a taxpayer-funded body is amplifying partisan activism on official social media channels. Daily Caller
Anything called "the commission on human relations" can't be good.
Republican introduces bill seeking to make Greenland 51st state
National Security
ICE agent who shot woman 'not expected to face criminal charges'; FBI probes victim's 'history of Trump hating' . . . Federal investigators have taken over the probe into the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, pushing local police aside while examining both the shooting itself and Good's possible ties to activist groups opposing Trump's immigration crackdown. The FBI is reviewing Ross's actions and physical evidence, including the handgun used. Daily Mail
Minnesota sues DHS after ICE agent killing . . . Minnesota is suing the Department of Homeland Security after a fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, escalating tensions over federal immigration enforcement. The lawsuit targets Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and claims the Trump administration's surge of agents into Minnesota is unprecedented and retaliatory. Minneapolis and St. Paul joined the case, seeking to block ongoing federal immigration operations statewide. Daily Signal
Renee Good's Minnesota 'ICE Watch' group shared manual detailing how to fight arrests, launch 'a micro-intifada' . . . The Minnesota ICE Watch group linked to slain Minneapolis protester Renee Good circulated a detailed "de-arrest primer" teaching activists how to physically interfere with police to free detained radicals. Reposted on Instagram this spring, the manual compares each confrontation to a "micro-intifada" and outlines tactics for yanking suspects away and pushing officers off arrestees. Neighbors say Good regularly attended meetings and received extensive training from the group. New York Post
She was a radical blocking legitimate law enforcement launched by elected officials, namely, Trump. As JD Vance perfectly put it, it's a tragedy of her own making.
Soccer moms are taking up a dangerous new hobby — becoming ICE saboteurs
Drug boat strike launched by military plane disguised as a civilian air craft . . . The Pentagon's first lethal US strike on an alleged narcoterrorist boat in the Caribbean is drawing scrutiny after reports it was carried out by a military aircraft disguised as a civilian plane. The September 2 attack killed 11 and was ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said all aboard were approved targets. An expert labeled the deception and hidden munitions a potential war crime, prompting a shift back to overt military aircraft and MQ-9 Reaper drones. Daily Mail
International
Death Toll in Iran Protests Could Be 'Thousands' . . . The official story out of Iran masks a far deadlier crackdown. A Middle East policy expert says the true toll from recent protests likely runs into the thousands, possibly exceeding 10,000. Images of makeshift morgues and rows of body bags in Tehran, reported by The Guardian and France 24, suggest a regime working hard to bury the scale of the bloodshed. Daily Signal
'Shoot to Kill': Accounts of Brutal Crackdown Emerge From Iran
Trump imposes 25% tariff on any country doing business with Iran
Money
AI data center surge strains the grid from Jersey to Kentucky . . . America's AI boom is pushing the nation's largest power-grid operator toward a supply crunch as energy-hungry data centers flood Northern Virginia's "Data Center Alley." Sixty-seven million people across 13 states rely on PJM's grid, now squeezed by soaring demand, rising consumer rates, and aging power plants shutting down faster than replacements arrive. With capacity nearing its limits, PJM warns that heat waves or deep freezes could trigger rolling blackouts to protect the system. Wall Street Journal
Trump says major tech companies will pay for AI data center power consumption . . . President Donald Trump said the White House is closing in on agreements with major tech companies to stop the explosive growth of data centers from driving up Americans' utility bills. Calling data centers essential to the artificial intelligence boom, Trump warned consumers should not be forced to subsidize their massive energy demands. He said the administration is seeking firm commitments to keep prices down, with Microsoft already making major changes this week. Washington Examiner
Trump warns 'we're screwed' if Supreme Court rules against emergency tariffs . . . President Trump warned that the United States would be "screwed" if the Supreme Court overturns his reciprocal tariff policies, claiming the federal government could be forced to repay staggering sums already collected. Writing on Truth Social, Trump framed the tariffs as a national security windfall and said an adverse ruling would trigger refunds totaling hundreds of billions of dollars, threatening both revenue and leverage built over the past year. New York Post
You should also know
Mattel rolls out autistic Barbie . . . Mattel has unveiled an autistic Barbie doll in its Fashionistas line, developed over 18 months in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. The company says the doll reflects common autistic experiences and aims to broaden representation in children's play. It marks Mattel's first Barbie explicitly designed to represent autism and continues its recent push toward increasingly niche identity-focused dolls. Breitbart
Guilty Pleasures
Multiple mystery monkeys on the move in Missouri . . . St. Louis officials are scrambling after multiple monkeys were spotted roaming near O'Fallon Park in the city's north side. Health Department officials confirmed more than one primate is loose, though early reports of four animals remain unverified. A primate expert from the St. Louis Zoo identified the animals as vervet monkeys, prompting officials to urge residents to report sightings to animal control as crews work to locate them. New York Times
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Megyn Kelly -> Pete Hegseth responds to 2017 rape accusation. 🔥 vol. 3, issue 13 | December 6, 2024 Quick Hits All the news you need in...
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