California Gov. Newsom announced that a special election for the congressional seat left open after the death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa will take place on Aug. 4.

NEW: Powell had a list of lawmakers who he thought would have his back after finally taking on Trump His belief that he would find a groundswell of support was not an idle thought, but the product of years of relationship-building on Capitol Hill. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/u... @nytimes.com

UPDATE: Trump granted clemency to the son of one of his GOP congressional allies, Steve Womack. James P. Womack was sentenced to 8 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine. His release from prison reunited him with his family during a difficult time for them www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/u...

A brutal crackdown that has left thousands of people dead has led protests to subside in some parts of Iran, as the state aims to quell the biggest threat to its rule in four decades.

The U.S. rolled out new sanctions on Iranian officials it said were responsible for a bloody crackdown on protesters.

'I was hit in the face by pellets': Iranians on border describe violence and more protestsand violence during blackout

In a reversal of recently announced policy, the Department of Education said Friday it was postponing the pursuit of garnishing wages, seizing tax refunds and collecting other benefits from federal student loan borrowers in default. https://to.pbs.org/3LEjPhh

White House announces Gaza ‘board of peace’ with Marco Rubio and Tony Blair

Trump names Tony Blair, Jared Kushner and Marc Rowan to Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ ft.trib.al/RxoVwVU

Nvidia suppliers halt H200 output after China blocks chip shipments ft.trib.al/HcfPMJe

In addition to pushing out board members at UVA, Virginia's new governor has fired the lead attorneys at VMI and George Mason. Things are happening quickly as political control fully flips to Democrats.

New: A federal judge gave the Trump administration three weeks to "rectify the mistake" it made by deporting a college student to Honduras in violation of a court order, and he recommended it issue her a student visa. www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

On Wednesday, officials within the Trump administration thought that Trump would order strikes on Iran. He didn’t, partly bc the U.S. needed more firepower in MidEast and he was warned of risks. But for now it’s a pause—not a “no”—on an attack. www.wsj.com/world/middle...

The question of punching back against Trump is so sensitive that it is kept away from the mainstream European debates. But five insiders have confirmed to POLITICO that the topic is being discussed privately across the continent. politi.co/49A8WF3

The National Guard mission in Washington, DC that has seen hundreds of troops patrol the streets of the US capital as well as undertake public service projects like trash collection and laying mulch has been extended through the end of 2026, according to two officials familiar with the matter.

National Guard troops will be on the streets of D.C. until the end of the year, according to a memo reviewed by The Associated Press.

A federal judge issued a nationwide (technically a national class) “declaratory” judgment that the Trump administration’s mandatory detention policy is unlawful. The Trump administration’s response has been to say that it is not bound by the ruling and the judge can go pound sand.

NEW from @lisalsong.bsky.social and me: The Trump administration is now asking USDA workers to check the backgrounds of foreign nationals collaborating with the department’s scientists for evidence of “subversive or criminal activity.” www.propublica.org/article/trum...

NEW: The Trump administration is directing USDA employees to investigate foreign scientists who collaborate with the agency on research papers for evidence of “subversive or criminal activity.” By @lisalsong.bsky.social and @fastlerner.bsky.social

The Trump administration is directing USDA employees to investigate foreign scientists who collaborate with the agency on research papers for evidence of "subversive or criminal activity." www.propublica.org/article/tr...

A federal judge bars DHS and ICE agents in Minneapolis from using "pepper-spray or similar nonlethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools" against peaceful protesters. Federal agents there now also cannot stop vehicles that are following them at a safe distance. storage.courtlistener.com/rec...

NEWS: A federal judge found that ICE had repeatedly retaliated against peaceful protesters in unconstitutional ways — and barred agents involved in Minnesota's "Operation Metro Surge" from using similar tactics and force. w/ @joshgerstein @hassankanu www.politico.com/news/2026/01...

still grinding my way through STALIN and though kotkin would never make this connection, i think you can just see stalin as a classic doomscroller he *liked* reading stories about how persecuted he was! he *liked* imagining a vast conspiracy against him personally! but in a classic doomer way

once you realize the bolsheviks were all first and foremost posters a lot of stuff becomes clearer

Christ, this (from Lizza's latest) is pretty fucking damning of...literally the entire media(?) What the fuck?

alright here you go

BREAKING: Judge enters TRO blocking feds from interfering with or arresting peaceful protesters in Minnesota. Judge Kate Menendez, Biden appointee. Order: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

Tylenol during pregnancy is safe without increased risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability of offspring A new review of the evidence just out www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

NEW: Trump pardoned a porta-potty magnate named Arie Eric De Jong III who was sentenced to 5 months in federal prison for illegally disposing of sludge in cities across southern California.

The incoming Democratic governor of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger, has asked at least five members of the board overseeing the University of Virginia who were appointed by her Republican predecessor to resign, according to people briefed on the matter.

UK cancels travel authorisation of Dutch far right activist www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Tucker Carlson has had his second in-person meeting with President Trump in the last week. Last Friday, he had a private lunch with the president. Here, in addition to President Trump, he also joins Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in the Oval Office.

Wow The night before Spanberger’s inauguration She’s cleared house at UVA Top Youngkin appointees resign Spanberger should be able to easily replace them given Dem trifecta The former CIA officer asserting her control

"The incoming Democratic governor of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger, has asked at least five members of the board overseeing [UVA] who were appointed by her Republican predecessor to resign, according to two people briefed on the matter." bluevirginia.us/2026/01/frid...

Senate ACA funding talks are collapsing. The working group missed its self-imposed timeline of a deal this week. Now they're gone on recess. Senate Republicans say the House-passed bill is dead on arrival; no progress made on tough issues (HSAs, abortion). www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...

Her father faced bribery charges. She donated $2.5M to a pro-Trump Super PAC. Trump's Justice Department gave her father a lenient deal, overruling prosecutors. She gave another $1M. Now Trump has pardoned her dad. @kenvogel.bsky.social @susannecraignyt.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/u...

BREAKING: A full-scale airlift is running around the clock, transporting troops and military equipment to Greenland. The operation is extensive, “beyond anything we’ve tried before,” a source tells DR. Danish F-35 fighter planes and warships from European allies involved. www.dr.dk/nyheder/indl...

This is an *inventive* use of a statute that originated in the Civil War - i.e, to punish actual secessionists.

“BAD ADVICE.” Republicans are embracing a method to criticize Trump’s actions without calling him out Blame advisers. Threaten Greenland? Just “bad advice.” Tariffs? “It’s not the president,” it’s Navarro. Investigating Powell, credit card rates… List is long. www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...

why did josh shapiro and wes moore have a friendly meeting with trump energy officials at the white house today? it's because their electricity market has been so dysfunctional that it's united both parties to yell at it heatmap.news/energy/pjm-a...

“Civil war,” “insurgents,” “a guerilla tactical playbook” — these are just some of the ways MAGA pundits are describing civil resistance to Trump’s ICE rampages www.mediamatters.org/immigration/...

my new piece in FP: The US keeps telling people to rise up against their regimes, then leaving them to die. Hungary, Iraq, Syria...now Iran? I try to offer an explanation for this very consistent pattern. (gift link) foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/16/t...

Weaponization of DoJ proceeds apace

The YouTube phenomenon known as MrBeast has partnered with the LDS Church on philanthropy, and church President Dallin Oaks says he hopes lower missionary ages will lead to lower marriage ages.

New Bellingcat investigation: Five Shots in Five Minutes. We analyse video evidence showing a federal agent firing a 40mm “less-lethal” launcher at protesters in Minneapolis repeatedly, including apparent head-level shots, following the killing of Renee Nicole Good www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...

JUST IN: 9th Circuit refuses to revive Republican National Committee lawsuit against Google over sending GOP emails to spam folder. RNC can't sue because Google wasn't providing service to RNC. Judges McKeown (Clinton), Friedland (Obama), Sung (Biden). Doc: cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/me...

Just hours after Renee Good was shot, one member of Customs and Border Patrol’s elite tactical team on an adjacent street fired a less-lethal weapon five times in less than five minutes, with four shots aimed at the faces of protestors. www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...

Billionaire Harold Hamm, Trump's biggest ally in the oil business, is shutting down operations in North Dakota after 30+ years there. Oil prices are just too low, he says. But somehow ... American oil giants are going to pour money into Venezuela, Trump swears. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Asia Times - MAGA mouthpiece Kari Lake claims US-funded broadcasts effectively serve Iranians and Venezuelans, but she presides over Potemkin airwaves. asiatimes.com/2026/01/the-...