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Stampede kills 32 at funeral for Iran general killed by US — TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A stampede erupted on Tuesday at a funeral procession for a top Iranian general killed in a U.S. airstrike last week, killing 32 people and injuring 190 others, state television reported.
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CNN, USA Today, New York Times, CNBC, Common Dreams, The Daily Caller, VICE, Raw Story, The Week, Соб … and Axios
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Iran is considering 13 ‘revenge scenarios’ over the death of General Soleimani as top official vows to create ‘historic nightmare’ for the US — Iran is considering 13 ‘revenge scenarios’ in retaliation for the US airstrike that killed General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq, a top official has said.
Discussion:
Daily Mail


Live updates: Iran prepares to bury Soleimani after deadly stampede — As U.S. officials defended the decision to kill Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad, Iranian leaders have stepped up calls for revenge against the United States on Tuesday. — The calls for retaliation came …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo

Trump administration begins drafting possible sanctions against Iraq following Trump's economic threat
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NBC News, Соб …, CNN, The Hill, The Moderate Voice, Eschaton, Alternet.org, Vanity Fair, Mediaite, Foreign Policy and Mother Jones

Khamenei Wants to Put Iran's Stamp on Reprisal for U.S. Killing of Top General
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Financial Times, Slate, The Nation, NPR, The Week, National Review, Fox News, The American Independent, HuffPost and Foreign Policy

War with Iran is still less likely than you think
Discussion:
One America News Network, Vox, American Prospect and New York Times

The Nightmare Stage of Trump's Rule Is Here
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Politico, Washington Post, Defense One and Bangor Daily News, more at Mediagazer »

Why Iran Is in Mourning … Listen and subscribe to our podcast from your mobile device:
Discussion:
Jihad Watch, The Daily Caller, Twitchy and The Week

Iranian foreign minister fumes over reported visa denial for UN meetings in New York
Discussion:
The Hill, Foreign Policy, Raw Story, Breitbart and Law & Crime


McConnell prepares to move forward on impeachment trial rules without Democrats — Senate Republican leaders are preparing to move forward on a set of impeachment trial rules without Democratic support. — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has locked down sufficient backing …
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Axios, Associated Press, National Review, Vox, Townhall, Washington Post, UPI, The Daily Beast, The Hill and The Root
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Schumer vows to force votes on impeachment witnesses — Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday that Democrats will force votes on witnesses at the start of the impeachment trial even as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has secured enough support to delay the decision until mid-trial.
Discussion:
National Review, Breitbart, Political Wire and Redstate


Pelosi and McConnell Are Playing High-Stakes Poker
Discussion:
Redstate, No More Mister Nice Blog and Outside the Beltway

New pressures greet Pelosi following Bolton's willingness to testify
Discussion:
Politico, Alternet.org and Washington Post


Michael Flynn deserves up to six months in prison, U.S. Justice Department says in reversal for former Trump national security adviser — Federal prosecutors on Tuesday recommended that former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn serve up to six months in prison, reversing …
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Law & Crime
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Prosecutors recommend Michael Flynn serve up to 6 months in prison — Federal prosecutors recommended in a sentencing memo Tuesday that President Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn receive a sentence of zero to six months in prison, arguing that he should not receive credit …
Discussion:
Politico, Fox News, NBC News, The Hill, Raw Story, Associated Press and One America News Network


Bloomberg Will Target Trump in a Super Bowl Ad, Spending About $10 Million — Michael R. Bloomberg's presidential campaign has secured a 60-second advertising spot to be aired nationally during the game on Feb. 2, campaign officials said. — After news emerged that President Trump's re-election campaign …
Discussion:
Washington Post, NBC News, The Hill, The Week and Mediaite


6.4 quake strikes Puerto Rico, killing at least 1 amid heavy seismic activity — “We've never been exposed to this kind of emergency in 102 years,"said the governor as the island grapples with ongoing aftershocks and assesses the damage. — A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Puerto Rico early Tuesday …
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Associated Press, The Hill, Politico, UPI and Al Jazeera
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New incident at Mar-a-Lago under ‘criminal investigation’ by Secret Service — Palm Beach police say they are conducting an “open and active criminal investigation” at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's South Florida estate, following an unspecified incident Monday night.
Discussion:
Raw Story


Why Trump should fear Sanders much more than Warren in 2020 — It is conventional political wisdom that President Trump stands his best chance in 2020 if Democrats nominate a far left candidate like Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. That is half right. I have witnessed both of these candidates …
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Sanders shuttle: Trump trial could trap candidates in D.C. One senator has an escape plan.
Discussion:
The Hill


Don't Tilt Scales Against Trump, Facebook Executive Warns — In an internal memo, Andrew Bosworth said he “desperately” wanted the president to lose. But, he said, the company should avoid hurting Mr. Trump's campaign. — SAN FRANCISCO — Since the 2016 election, when Russian trolls …


Windshield … To stay connected with the campaign: — About Pete: — Pete Buttigieg is a husband, Afghanistan veteran, and the Mayor of his hometown, South Bend, Indiana. — Pete is running for president because this is a now or never moment for our nation.
Discussion:
The Hill
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Buttigieg releases 4 early-state ads — with 4 distinct messages
Discussion:
The Daily Caller


Russian trolls are targeting American veterans, and Trump's government isn't helping, group says — The Trump administration has for nearly two years ignored mounting evidence that Russian operatives and other foreign actors were deliberately targeting U.S. troops and veterans …


Mysterious repeating fast radio burst traced to nearby galaxy — (CNN)Astronomers have traced the signal of an enigmatic repeating fast radio burst for only the second time — and it's in a spiral galaxy similar to our own, not so far away. — Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are millisecond-long bursts of radio waves in space.
Discussion:
ScienceAlert and UPI

Anatomy of a Screw-Up: The Story Behind the Letter Withdrawing Our Troops — In a letter dated January 6, Brigadier Gen. William Seely III, the commanding general of Task Force Iraq, wrote to his Iraqi counterpart with big news: The United States military was preparing to leave Iraq.
Discussion:
Slate, Reason, Alternet.org, Raw Story, The Morning Dispatch and CNN


Fox News's Tucker Carlson: In San Francisco, ‘Civilization Itself Is Coming Apart’ — Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson described San Francisco as a place where “civilization itself is coming apart.” — “The reality of that city we discovered when we spent …


Ricky Gervais, Man of the People — In a room filled with self-absorbed narcissists, one brave, slightly less self-absorbed narcissist had the balls to speak truth to power—and his name is Ricky Gervais. — If courage had a face, it would be a slightly overweight, pasty British multi-millionaire drinking a pint.
Discussion:
americandigest.org


Ivanka Trump's CES keynote address sparks backlash — Some critics say there are women with more technical experience who are better qualified to speak at the annual technology conference — LAS VEGAS — Ivanka Trump may face an icy reception today at one of the world's largest technology conferences …


Russia offers Iraq S-400 air defense system to protect airspace — BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:00 A.M.) - Russia has offered Iraq their S-400 air defense system to protect their airspace, RIA Novosti reported this week, citing the Russian Ministry of Defense. — According to the report …
Discussion:
Tangle and Defense One


Iranian-Americans Questioned at the Border: 'My Kids Shouldn't Experience Such Things' — Up to 200 people were held by border agents, with some of them reportedly asked to share their opinions about the situation in Iran and Iraq. — SEATTLE — Arriving at the United States border …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Daily Kos and Slate


A Near-Extinct Language Finds a Home in One Brooklyn Building — There are just 700 Seke speakers left in the world, and 100 live in New York — half of them in one building. — The apartment building, in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood, is a hive of nationalities.


How Lindsey Graham Lost His Way — The senator once enjoyed respect on both sides of the aisle. Why has he become a blind loyalist to Trump? — Lindsey Graham and Donald Trump were born nine years and one month apart. Trump came first, but when they appear side by side …
Discussion:
The Smoke Eater, Balloon Juice and Raw Story


President Trump's stock market gamble — As the 2020 presidential election campaign gets into full swing, President Trump might want to reflect on a 1929 cautionary tale involving Irving Fisher, the pre-eminent U.S. economist of his time. Maybe then Trump would not keep making …


Coal's Collapse Has America's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Falling — Greenhouse gas emissions have dipped two of past three years — U.S. coal power declined last year to lowest level since 1975 — Greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. slipped last year as coal-fired power plants continue to close.


Disturbing photos of grinning ‘poachers’ with gorilla ‘shot dead’ spark outrage — The primate was “shot dead illegally” in a “crime against nature” in Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, animal rights campaigners fear — Disturbing photos of grinning “poachers” …


The 57-Page PowerPoint Harvey Weinstein's Team Is Sending Reporters — As New York prepared to publish this week's look at the coming trial of Harvey Weinstein, along with a portfolio of women who have made allegations against him, I reached out to his current publicist, Juda Engelmayer, for comment.
Discussion:
Gothamist, Columbia Journalism Review, Page Six, Common Dreams, Jezebel and New York Times, more at Mediagazer »


Ball of Confusion — As noted below, in the broadest sense we know why President Trump ordered the assassination of Soleimani: it was an attempt to dominate a weaker power by dramatically escalating a simmering conflict. This squares with how states act and it squares with President Trump's personality.


Russian president Vladimir Putin lands in Damascus on unannounced visit … Share your thoughts and debate the big issues — {{#singleComment_p}}{{value_ p}} Independent Premium {{/singleComment_p}}{{^singleComment_ p}}{{value_p}} Independent Premium {{/singleComment_p}} {{#singleComment_open} …