đ FBI Launches Probe into Minnesota Anti-ICE Signal Chat Networks
The FBI, under Director Kash Patel, has initiated an investigation into encrypted Signal chat groups in Minnesota used by anti-ICE activists to coordinate efforts in identifying, monitoring, and obstructing federal immigration enforcement operations, prompted by a report from independent journalist Cam Higby exposing the networksâ roles in dispatching agitators and potentially involving local officials; Patel stated the probe will pursue any violations of federal statutes or laws that could lead to arrests, emphasizing protection for law enforcement while respecting constitutional rights, amid heightened tensions in the Twin Cities involving recent violent incidents during ICE activities.
Sources: The Post Millennial, The Daily wire
đ¨ď¸ Nassau County Executive Slams Hochul for Turning Down Federal Storm Aid Over ICE Worries
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman sharply criticized New York Governor Kathy Hochul for rejecting federal assistance offered by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a major winter storm pounding the state with 10 to 14 inches of snow, freezing rain, sleet, and dangerously cold temperatures that have made roads slippery and cleanup efforts tough, lasting days instead of the usual 24 hours; Blakeman called the move foolish and irresponsible, insisting public safety should trump politics in emergencies and that federal help is needed for events like this, while Hochul explained her rejection by saying the quickest aid would come if ICE backed off to ensure people, presumably including immigrants, feel safe using warming centers, shelters, hospitals, and houses of worship amid the frigid conditions gripping Long Island and beyond.
Sources: FOX News, Yahoo News
đĄ Trump Reveals Secret âDiscombobulatorâ Weapon Key to Maduro Raid
President Trump told the New York Post that a classified device he called âThe Discombobulatorâ was instrumental in the January 3, 2026, U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President NicolĂĄs Maduro and his wife in Caracas on federal narcoterrorism charges. Trump described the weapon as having jammed Venezuelan radar systems and prevented the launch of Russian- and Chinese-supplied rockets, allowing a team of about 20 American troops and drones to conduct the helicopter extraction with no U.S. casualties and minimal resistance. He noted he was ânot supposed to talk about itâ but then detailed its role in neutralizing enemy defenses, while Venezuelan officials and witnesses have separately reported strange sonic or energy effects that caused guards to suffer severe disorientation, nosebleeds, vomiting, and internal distress during the raid.
Sources: The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal
đŞ Minnesota Governor Tim Walz Deploys National Guard Amid Unrest After Federal Agent Shooting in Minneapolis
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz activated the stateâs National Guard on January 24, 2026, to assist local law enforcement at the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis following a fatal shooting involving a Department of Homeland Security (Border Patrol) agent that killed a man identified in reports as Alex Pretti; the Hennepin County Sheriffâs Office requested the Guard due to concerns over potential escalating conflict and protests tied to anti-ICE sentiment, with Walz stating the state would bill the federal government for related costs while emphasizing the Guardâs role in protecting life, property, and the right to peaceful protest amid community tensions from ongoing immigration enforcement actions.
Sources: The Post Millennial, FOX News
đłď¸ Several Incumbent Senators Face Growing Primary Challenges in 2026 Cycle
A number of sitting U.S. senators are already drawing serious primary challengers as the 2026 midterms approach, with notable contests emerging in both parties: Republican Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is being targeted by Rep. Julia Letlow (who has former President Trumpâs endorsement), John Cornyn of Texas faces potential bids from Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, while Democrat Ed Markey of Massachusetts is being challenged by Rep. Seth Moulton; party leaders are largely circling the wagons around their incumbents, though these early moves suggest a bumpy road for some veteran senators in a cycle where primary upsets have become less rare.
âď¸ Virginia Democrats Push Bill to Scrap Mandatory Minimums for Violent Crimes
A bill introduced in the Virginia House of Delegates, HB 863, would eliminate mandatory minimum prison terms for several serious offenses including rape, manslaughter, assaulting a law enforcement officer, possession and distribution of child pornography, and repeat violent felonies, handing judges greater discretion to tailor sentences to individual case details; the Democratic sponsor calls it a sensible step toward fairer justice, but law enforcement voices and critics argue it risks undermining accountability, potentially allowing dangerous offenders to return to the streets sooner and reoffend, especially in violent cases where public safety hangs in the balance.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, WJLA News7 Arlington
đ¨Federal Officers Tackled in Minneapolis Riot Chaos
In Minneapolis, riots broke out following the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti by federal agents during an immigration-related operation, leading to street protests where masked demonstrators allegedly turned violent against law enforcement. Video footage highlighted in reports shows protesters pummeling and kicking officers, with one attacker tackling a federal officer before being quickly subdued by others on the scene. This fits into a larger pattern of escalating attacks on federal immigration personnel, including a separate incident involving a biting assault, as DHS officials decry the dangers posed by unchecked radical encouragement from local leaders and report dramatic spikes in violence against their agents carrying out enforcement duties.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, US Dept of Homeland Security
đŁ Antifa-Linked Agitators Clash with Federal Agents at Portland ICE Facility
In the wake of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during an anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026, agitators including those associated with Antifa rallied and rioted outside the ICE facility in South Portland that same Saturday night; the gathering started as a peaceful demonstration at Elizabeth Caruthers Park before marching to the site, where protesters crossed boundaries, leading to federal agents deploying tear gas, pepperballs, and flash-bangs while some in the crowd hurled munitions back, prompting Portland Police to issue warnings against tampering with the building or blocking roads and resulting in four arrests for actions like attempting to pry plywood and throwing glass candles at officers.
Sources: The Post Millennial, KATU-TV Portland
đ˘ Activist Groups Push Minneapolis High Schoolers to Skip Class for Anti-ICE Walkouts
Sunrise Movement and UNIDOS, two left-leaning activist outfits, have been handing out guides and presentations to Minneapolis high school students, urging them to walk out of classes and stage protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the stateâcomplete with scripts claiming schools are âfrontlinesâ against an authoritarian regime, advice on recording ICE agents, and calls for demands like kicking ICE out of Minnesota entirely and pausing standardized testing.
Sources: The Washington Examiner, The Daily Wire
đ´ CCP-Linked Donations Flow to California Democrats Amid Newsomâs China Outreach
While Governor Gavin Newsom has pursued warmer economic and diplomatic ties with Chinaâmeeting Xi Jinping, hosting him in San Francisco, and emphasizing cooperation on climate issuesâhundreds of thousands in campaign cash from individuals and entities with ties to Chinese Communist Party influence operations has poured into California Democratic accounts since 2018. Federal, state, and local records show roughly $400,000 to federal Democratic committees, $320,000 to state-level campaigns (including $42,500 directly to Newsom), and additional sums to local politicians, often from figures like East West Bankâs Dominic Ng (linked to a United Front Work Department affiliate) and Simon Pang (tied to a State Department-designated CCP front), plus employees at firms such as BYD (facing potential Pentagon âChinese military companyâ designation) who contributed over $200,000, including $50,000 from BYDâs president to Newsom. Critics on the right see this as suspiciously timed with Newsomâs soft-pedaling on human rights concerns like Uyghur issues, while his office declined comment and defenders frame the outreach as pragmatic business and environmental engagement rather than anything untoward.
Sources: The Washington Examiner, FOX News
âď¸ Chinaâs Top General Faces Accusations of Leaking Nuclear Secrets to the US
Chinaâs highest-ranking military officer, Gen. Zhang Youxiaâonce seen as President Xi Jinpingâs closest ally in the armed forcesâstands accused in an internal briefing of handing over key technical details on Beijingâs nuclear weapons program to the United States, while also pocketing hefty bribes to grease promotions for cronies, including a disgraced former defense minister. The allegations surfaced amid Xiâs relentless military housecleaning, which has already felled dozens of top brass since 2023 on corruption and loyalty charges; evidence reportedly ties back to a probe into a nuclear industry executive, with Zhang and another senior general now under formal investigation for âgrave violations,â potentially gutting the leadership of the Central Military Commission and raising fresh questions about the Peopleâs Liberation Armyâs cohesion and readiness right when tensions over Taiwan loom large.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal, Israel Hayam
đĽ Israel Strikes Hezbollah Weapons Manufacturing Site in Southern Lebanon Amid Ceasefire Tensions
The Israel Defense Forces conducted targeted airstrikes in southern Lebanon, hitting a Hezbollah-operated weapons manufacturing structure in the Bir al-Sansal area near Kherbet Selem, along with additional military infrastructure in the Beqaa Valley, in response to the Iran-backed groupâs ongoing violations of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement and efforts to rebuild terror capabilities with Iranian backing; the IDF identified the site as actively used for arm production by Hezbollah terrorists, and Lebanese reports indicate at least one fatality from the operation, while Hezbollah continues to refuse disarmament demandsâthreatening civil unrest in Lebanon if pressedâdespite the dealâs requirement for full disarmament by the end of 2025, leaving Israelâs northern border exposed to persistent threats from a group that once massed thousands of fighters for a potential invasion that never materialized.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, The Times of Israel
âď¸âđĽ Venezuelan Rights Group Reports Fresh Batch of Political Prisoner Releases
In the chaotic aftermath of NicolĂĄs Maduroâs dramatic capture by U.S. forces earlier this month, Venezuelaâs interim authorities continue piecemeal efforts to unwind the old regimeâs repressive machinery, with a leading human rights organization now confirming at least 80 more political prisoners walked free on Sunday from facilities nationwide. Foro Penal director Alfredo Romero broke the news on social media, suggesting the tally will climb higher, even as interim President Delcy Rodriguez had already touted 626 total releases by Friday without a clear timeline. The group had only verified 156 since early January up to that point, and Rodriguez is set to loop in the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Monday to independently check the prisoner listsâ a small but telling step toward accountability in a country still figuring out life after the strongmanâs abrupt exit.
đĄď¸ Syrian Militiaman Displays Severed Kurdish Fighterâs Braid in Provocative Video
A video shared online shows a fighter aligned with Syriaâs new Damascus government holding up what he claimed was the severed braid of a female Kurdish YPJ fighter killed in recent clashes in Raqqa province, taunting her with remarks about her fate while asserting control over former SDF-held areas. The braid carries strong symbolic meaning for Kurdish women as a sign of defiance and identity, prompting widespread outrage among Kurds and supporters who responded by posting videos of themselves braiding their own hair in solidarity. The militiaman later claimed the braid was artificial and the entire display was a tasteless prank, though no independent verification has confirmed the womanâs identity, death, or the braidâs authenticity. The incident highlights ongoing friction in Syriaâs fragile post-Assad transition, where the interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa is pressing to integrate or subdue Kurdish forces in the northeast under a U.S.-mediated ceasefire extension, amid lingering concerns about ISIS prison security and territorial control.
âď¸ U.S. Warships Approach Iran Amid Reports of Widespread Brutality by Ayatollahâs Security Forces
Iranâs security forces, under direct orders from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to crush nationwide anti-regime protests with lethal force and no mercy, reportedly killed or executed at least 30,000 to 40,000 demonstrators during a brutal two-day crackdown on January 8-9, 2026, involving automatic weapons, tear gas, batons, mounted machine guns on military trucks, and rooftop snipers, with wounded protesters often summarily executed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, denied medical treatment, or finished off in hospitals and morgues amid overflowing facilities and mass body disposals, as corroborated by internal Ministry of Health records, witness accounts, videos, and human rights investigations; meanwhile, U.S. President Trump responded by deploying an armada including the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group with destroyers equipped for missile strikes, warning Tehran to stop the slaughter or face intervention while encouraging protesters to hold firm with American support en route, though Iranian officials denied any pause in executions of over 800 detainees, blamed the unrest on foreign instigators, enforced a near-total internet blackout to conceal the scale, and threatened strikes on U.S. assets, prompting regional diplomats to caution against escalation into broader conflict as Khamenei vowed no war but firm action against perceived threats.
Sources: The Washington Times, The Washington Examiner