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In a historic milestone for archaeology and faith, the newly opened Pilgrimage Road at the City of David is welcoming visitors for the first time in nearly 2,000 years. This monumental 600-meter thoroughfare, once the spiritual and commercial heart of Second Temple Jerusalem, has been painstakingly uncovered stone by stone. As of January 2026, the final sections of this &#8220;Stepped Street&#8221; will open to the public, allowing modern travelers to walk the exact path their ancestors used during the great festivals of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
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A truly historic moment &#8211; the newly opened Pilgrimage Road at the City of David is welcoming visitors for the first time in nearly 2,000 years.
This stone-paved path once carried pilgrims from the Pool of Siloam up to the Temple Mount for Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot, alive… <a href="https://t.co/U8q2DuGfRU">pic.twitter.com/U8q2DuGfRU</a>
— Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraelinUSA/status/2016874219703873694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The road is a marvel of ancient engineering, stretching from the Pool of Siloam in the south to the foot of the Temple Mount in the north. Eight meters wide and paved with massive limestone slabs, it features a unique stepped design — two shallow steps followed by a long landing — specifically crafted to facilitate a slow, meditative ascent for the millions of pilgrims who once thronged its path.
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While long attributed to Herod the Great, recent coin evidence found beneath the paving stones suggests the road was actually completed around 30–31 CE under Pontius Pilate. This places its activity squarely within the era of Jesus’ ministry, making it the literal surface upon which he and his disciples likely walked after ritual purification at the Pool of Siloam. The New Testament records Jesus performing a famous miracle with a blind man at the pool of Siloam, which sits at the very bottom of this road: John 9:7 states, “And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam. He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.&#8221;
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Managed by the Ir David (City of David) Foundation, the excavation of the road is a modern engineering triumph. Because the ancient street is buried beneath the modern neighborhood of Silwan, it has been excavated horizontally using high-tech steel supports. This subterranean &#8220;tunnel&#8221; method allows visitors to experience the bustling commercial hub of the past — where remains of shops, market stalls, and even an elevated preaching podium have been found — while the modern city continues to thrive above.
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The opening of this route fulfills a long-held vision to connect the Pool of Siloam directly to the Western Wall. For visitors, it offers more than a history lesson; it provides a tangible connection to the &#8220;DNA of Jerusalem.&#8221; From the drainage channels where Jewish rebels once hid to the massive stones polished by millions of ancient footsteps, the Pilgrimage Road is the &#8220;opening act&#8221; of a new era of discovery. It stands as a bridge across two millennia, inviting the world to walk the ceremonial way that once served as the primary gateway to the House of God.
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Daily Life In Jerusalem

The DNA Of Jerusalem: Ancient Pilgrimage Road Opens To The World

Jerusalem

Jesus Christ

Researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), led by Dr. Mariano Barbacid, have achieved a <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15512253/Huge-pancreatic-cancer-breakthrough-scientists-achieve-permanent-disappearance-disease-new-triple-threat-approach.html">significant breakthrough</a> in the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common and deadly form of pancreatic cancer. In a study <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2523039122">published</a> in the journal PNAS, the team demonstrated that a new triple-drug combination therapy can completely and permanently eliminate pancreatic tumors in experimental mouse models.
Pancreatic cancer has long been considered one of the most difficult &#8220;incurable&#8221; diseases, characterized by a five-year survival rate of less than 11%. Its resilience is largely due to the KRAS oncogene, a mutation present in approximately 90% of cases. Although KRAS was historically considered &#8220;undruggable,&#8221; recent advances have enabled the development of RAS inhibitors. However, these single-target drugs often fail in the long term because tumors quickly develop resistance by utilizing alternative survival pathways.
The CNIO team’s innovation lies in a &#8220;triple-threat&#8221; approach that blocks three independent signaling nodes simultaneously: downstream (RAF1), upstream (EGFR), and orthogonal (STAT3) pathways. By targeting these three routes, the therapy effectively &#8220;traps&#8221; the cancer cells, preventing them from outmaneuvering the treatment. The researchers tested this across various models, including mice with human pancreatic tissue and mice genetically engineered to model the disease. In all cases, the combination — consisting of the drugs daraxonrasib (KRAS inhibitor), afatinib (EGFR inhibitor), and SD36 (STAT3 degrader) — resulted in complete tumor regression without the appearance of resistance for over 200 days post-treatment. Crucially, the therapy was well-tolerated with no significant toxicities.
The implications of this study are profound. Currently, patients rely on decades-old cytotoxic drugs like gemcitabine or highly toxic combinations like FOLFIRINOX, which offer limited benefits. This new research provides a roadmap for human clinical trials, suggesting that the key to curing pancreatic cancer lies in combination therapies rather than monotherapy.
While the results are promising, experts note limitations: the success was observed in healthy laboratory mice, and human physiology may present different challenges. Nevertheless, the Spanish government and the international scientific community have hailed the discovery as a potential turning point. If these results can be replicated in humans, it could transform the prognosis for a disease that currently kills more than half of its victims within three months of diagnosis.

Pancreas cancer, illustration

‘Triple-Threat’ Breakthrough: New Therapy Eradicates Pancreatic Tumors In Preclinical Study

Cancer

Pancreatic cancer

The ongoing legal battle between Hunter Biden and Lunden Roberts over their seven-year-old daughter, Navy Joan, has reached a new level of friction in an Arkansas court. The dispute centers on <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15510483/Hunter-Biden-ghosted-daughter-Navy-Lunden-Roberts-stripper.html">allegations</a> that Biden has &#8220;ghosted&#8221; the child and failed to fulfill the unique terms of a 2023 settlement agreement.
Lunden Roberts recently filed to reopen the child support case, labeling Biden &#8220;classless&#8221; for cutting off all contact with Navy Joan in 2024. In response, Biden’s legal team submitted a blunt filing asserting that his lack of communication does not constitute a violation of the law. His lawyer argued that because the court order does not explicitly mandate him to speak to or visit the child, his silence is not punishable by contempt. This follows a brief period where the two had reportedly begun building a foundation through scheduled calls.
A central pillar of their <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/06/20/hunter-biden-baby-mama-luden-roberts-settle-child-support-dispute-with-first-sons-payments-slashed/">2023 agreement</a> was Biden’s commitment to provide Navy Joan with 30 of his original paintings or the proceeds from their sale. At the time, Biden’s art was valued as high as $500,000 per piece. Roberts claims Biden has failed to hand over the art, while Biden’s defense maintains that because the settlement did not establish a specific deadline, he is not currently in breach of the order. Meanwhile, the market value of his work has reportedly plummeted since Joe Biden left the White House.
Roberts cited a stark contrast between Navy Joan’s upbringing and that of Hunter’s other children. Her filings point to the Biden family’s exclusive lifestyle—specifically a 2025 Thanksgiving gathering in Nantucket—noting that Navy Joan is the only grandchild excluded from such family activities. Roberts argues that while the court cannot force Biden to be a &#8220;good dad,&#8221; it can ensure the child receives the same level of financial support as her half-siblings.
The relationship began in 2017, and Navy Joan was born in 2018. Although Hunter Biden initially claimed he had no memory of Roberts and denied paternity, a 2019 DNA test <a href="https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/nov/20/dna-test-shows-hunter-biden-father-arkansas-womans/">confirmed</a> he was the father. Despite this, he famously omitted Navy Joan from his 2021 memoir and successfully fought to prevent her from using the &#8220;Biden&#8221; last name.

House Oversight Committee Considers Citing Hunter Biden For Contempt Of Congress

Legal Filings: Hunter Biden Defends ‘Ghosting’ Daughter

Courts

Hunter Biden

Joe Biden

U.S.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) <a href="https://x.com/Breaking911/status/2016596630141587664">announced</a> Wednesday that Republicans intend to overhaul the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to include a mandatory photo identification requirement for federal elections. GOP leadership says the change is intended to close what they view as a significant gap in existing election integrity laws.
While the original version of the SAVE Act, which passed the House in April 2025, focused primarily on requiring documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) at the point of voter registration, Thune noted that it lacked a specific requirement for photo identification at the polling place.
&#8220;I cosponsored the SAFE Act in the past; my understanding is that they are still modifying the bill,&#8221; Thune told reporters. &#8220;It includes, right now, a requirement that you be a citizen to register to vote but it doesn’t include a requirement that to vote you be a resident. So, in other words, if you’re going to have what we call voter ID, photo ID, when somebody goes into the ballot box to vote, that’s not currently covered in the bill. So that’s being fixed and addressed, and I think the new bill that comes out will deal with that. &#8230; I’m for it; I think most of our colleagues in the Senate are.”
The SAVE Act, originally introduced by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/128/text">would amend</a> the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. Its core provisions currently include:
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<li>Mandatory Proof of Citizenship: Requiring passports, birth certificates, or military records to register.</li>
<li>Roll Maintenance: Compelling states to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls.</li>
<li>Criminal Penalties: Establishing federal charges for officials who register ineligible individuals.</li>
</ul>
The proposed amendment would establish a uniform photo ID requirement nationwide. Currently, voter ID laws vary by state, with 36 states requiring some form of identification and 14 states relying on signature matching or verbal attestation instead.
Proponents of the measure cite high public confidence in ID requirements. Recent data suggests that 80% of Americans favor photo ID laws, including 97% of Republicans, 84% of Independents, and 53% of Democrats. Furthermore, 77% of minority voters reportedly support such measures.
Critics, however, argue that strict ID requirements and the elimination of mail-in registration could disproportionately burden voters without easy access to government-issued documents. Despite these concerns, supporters cite a National Bureau of Economic Research study that found such laws have no statistically significant negative effect on overall voter turnout.
The bill now awaits further action in the Senate, where it is expected to face a difficult path along party lines, despite Thune’s confidence that &#8220;most&#8221; of his colleagues support the revision.

Senate Passage Of Government Spending Package In Doubt As Democrats Seek Changes To DHS Funding

Republicans Move To Mandate Photo ID In Federal Elections

John Thune

Voter ID

CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert on Wednesday night suggested that ICE officers and Border Patrol agents were worse than Nazis.
During his monologue on &#8220;The Late Show,&#8221; Colbert showed a clip of Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who was discussing Alex Pretti, the leftist protester who was shot and killed by federal agents, with CNN’s Dana Bash.
“Dana, let&#8217;s look at why he was there in the first place,” Bovino said. “Was he simply walking by and just happened to walk into a law enforcement situation and try to direct traffic and stand in the middle of the road and then assault, delay and obstruct law enforcement? Or was he there for a reason? Did he fall victim to that violent and heated rhetoric by a [Minneapolis] Mayor [Jacob] Frey, a [Minnesota] Governor [Tim] Walz? Look, Dana, they&#8217;re trying to portray Border Patrol agents and ICE agents as Gestapo, Nazi and many other words. Did this individual fall victim, as many others have, to that type of heated rhetoric?”
“Do not compare ICE or Border Patrol agents to the Nazis,” Colbert intoned. “That’s an unfair comparison. The Nazis were willing to show their faces.”
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Stephen Colbert: “Do not compare ICE or Border Patrol agents to the Nazis. That’s an unfair comparison. The Nazis were willing to show their faces.”<a href="https://t.co/JzMbqTO3C9">pic.twitter.com/JzMbqTO3C9</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/2016860668075422041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The outgoing host, who recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-trump-late-night-host-stephen-colbert-reveals-date-of-final-show">revealed</a> his last episode will air on May 21, does have a habit of making offensive statements when it comes to conservatives; in November 2022, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wash-your-klan-robes-with-your-maga-hat-stephen-colbert-mocks-republicans-after-election-results">mocked</a> Republicans as &#8220;fascists&#8221; and Ku Klux Klan members a day after predictions of a red wave <a href="http://dailywire.com/news/republican-red-wave-stops-at-florida-as-initial-midterm-tallies-leave-house-senate-majorities-in-question/">failed to materialize</a> in the midterm elections.
Colbert, who in May 2022 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/may/18/stephen-colbert-future-republicans-primaries">said</a> the GOP was “choosing its direction for 2022: original recipe nutballs or extra crispy cuckoo cojones,” was giddy when Democrats performed better than expected. “As a performer, there are three things you don’t want to follow: animals, children, or a fascist takeover of your country,” Colbert taunted. “These results is (sic) a crisp nut-punch to Republican optimism leading up to this election.”
Colbert continued, citing headlines he&#8217;d apparently seen on the internet.
“&#8217;The vaunted red wave never hit the shore in mid-term elections,’&#8221; he said. &#8220;‘That’s not a red wave,’ and ‘The red wave was more like a pink splash.’”
“Yes, a pink splash,” Colbert said. “It was a salmon drizzle, a rosy wash. It&#8217;s like what happens when you accidentally wash your Klan robes with your MAGA hat. It&#8217;s just a little pink wash.”
Colbert has demonstrated his contempt for conservatives many times in the past. In March 2022, in the face of soaring gas prices devastating American consumers, Colbert <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/stephen-colberts-elitism-on-soaring-gas-prices-hell-ill-pay-15-a-gallon-because-i-drive-a-tesla/">mocked</a> struggling average Joes and said it was part of the price of backing Ukraine in its war with Russia.
&#8220;Today, the average gas price in America hit an all-time record high of over $4 a gallon,&#8221; he said. &#8220;OK, that stings, but a clean conscience is worth a buck or two. It’s important. I’m willing to pay $4/gallon. Hell, I’ll pay $15 a gallon because I drive a Tesla.”
Back in May 2019, the cold open for his show opened by mocking farmers, intimating that if their finances were hurt by President Trump’s tariffs targeting China, they would lose their wives to convicts, start stripping for a living, become alcoholics, and turn to growing marijuana.
The show began by playing a clip from a CNN report that claimed President Trump’s “trade war [is] having a major impact on American farmers after talks with China have halted. Some farmers seem to be losing hope.” That was followed by a clip of a farmer who said he had voted for Trump in 2016 but would not do so again.
The show then aired a cartoon titled “The Farmer in the Dell,” based on the famous children’s song, but this time with new lyrics, accompanied by the visuals in the cartoon:
<blockquote>
Tariffs posed by Trump 
Put the farmers in a dump 
Oh no, the derry-o, the farmer’s in a slump. 
The farmer lost his wife. 
She wants a better life. 
She ran off with an ex-convict who rides a b****in’ bike. 
The farmer needs a job. 
He’s stripping while he sobs. 
Hi-ho the stripper pole, they’re laughing at his knob. 
The farmer drinks a lot, 
His liver starts to rot. 
Chuggitiy-chug the winey-o 
Time to start growing pot.
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Stephen Colbert

Anti-Trump Late-Night Host Suggests ICE And Border Patrol Agents Are Worse Than Nazis

Border Patrol

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Media

Nazis

In an incendiary address during a rally on Tuesday, far-left Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner escalated his rhetoric against federal immigration enforcement, comparing ICE agents to &#8220;wannabe Nazis.&#8221;
Krasner issued a stark warning to federal officers, promising that a coalition of state prosecutors would work to identify and prosecute them for actions he deemed lawless.
&#8220;If we have to hunt you down the way they hunted down Nazis for decades, we will find your identities; we will find you; we will achieve justice &#8230;  under the Constitution and the laws of the United States,&#8221; Krasner declared. He emphasized that being a federal officer does not grant immunity from homicide charges and vowed that accountability would continue even after the current administration leaves office. Krasner specifically noted that he is collaborating with other progressive prosecutors, such as Minneapolis’s Mary Moriarty, to ensure federal agents face state-level consequences for their actions.
In November 2022, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 107-85 to impeach Krasner, alleging &#8220;purposeful ineffectiveness&#8221; and mismanagement of his office that compromised public safety. Republican leaders argued that Krasner’s progressive reforms — including the elimination of cash bail for certain offenses and reduced prosecutions — created an environment of fear in Philadelphia.
Upon taking office in 2018, Krasner fired dozens of veteran prosecutors, replacing them with less experienced staff. Under his tenure, Philadelphia saw a dramatic surge in violence, with homicides peaking at a record 562 in 2021. While violent crime dropped to a 20-year low in 2024, the intermediate spike led to significant business closures, including multiple Wawa and Starbucks locations, as retailers cited safety concerns and retail theft.
Despite the impeachment efforts, Krasner remains a prominent figure in the &#8220;national populist&#8221; legal movement. He was elected with significant financial backing from billionaire George Soros, who has defended progressive DAs against claims that their policies drive crime spikes. Krasner has dismissed the impeachment efforts as an &#8220;authoritarian&#8221; attempt to disenfranchise &#8220;Black, brown, and broke&#8221; voters, framing the legislative push as a politically motivated attack on his mandate.
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Musk Sued In Pennsylvania Over $1 Million Election Giveaway

Leftist Philly DA Vows To ‘Hunt Down’ ICE Agents, Calls Them To ‘Wannabe Nazis’

George Soros

Larry Krasner

Philadelphia

Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population and Housing Unit Estimates <a href="https://thearp.org/blog/apportionment/2030-apportionment-forecast-2025/">released</a> on Tuesday, the United States is seeing a significant demographic shift that favors the GOP for the 2030 congressional reapportionment. Despite reporting delays caused by last year&#8217;s government shutdown, the data reveal a massive migration trend toward Southern and &#8220;Sun Belt&#8221; states.
The growth has been concentrated in a handful of fast-expanding states. Texas led the nation, adding 391,243 residents (a 1.2% increase), according to the estimates. Florida and North Carolina followed with significant gains. Overall, nine states gained more than 60,000 residents, including Georgia, South Carolina, and Arizona. Conversely, five states saw net population declines, with California losing nearly 9,500 residents.
Domestic migration is the primary driver of these shifts. California (-229,077), New York (-137,586), and Illinois (-40,017) experienced the largest domestic outflow. In contrast, North Carolina, Texas, and South Carolina enjoyed the highest domestic inflows.
International migration remains a universal growth factor, with Florida (+178,674) and Texas (+167,475) leading that category.
Projections for 2030 suggest a major realignment of political power:
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<li>
Gains: Texas is expected to gain 4 House seats; Florida (+2); and Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, North Carolina, and Utah (+1 each).
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<li>
Losses: California is projected to lose 4 seats, while Illinois, New York, Oregon, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Rhode Island are each expected to lose 1.
</li>
</ul>
Analysts note that under this map, the 2024 Republican presidential victory would have yielded 11 additional electoral votes.
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This is why Democrats are fighting so hard for illegal immigrants to stay in the country. The 2030 census is going to crush them as population is soaring in red states. <a href="https://t.co/NzswwlTqIM">https://t.co/NzswwlTqIM</a>
&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/2016200461745803530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The report highlights ongoing debates regarding Census accuracy. Critics argue that counting non-citizens for apportionment purposes artificially inflates representation for Democratic-leaning states, particularly those with large immigrant populations.
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This is the real issue. Illegal aliens are outrageously counted in the Census for Congressional representation. Even though they can&#39;t legally vote &#8211; they give Democrats more power in Washington D.C. That&#39;s why there is so much resistance from the Left on deportations. <a href="https://t.co/tYrqLnE3UN">https://t.co/tYrqLnE3UN</a>
&mdash; Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) <a href="https://twitter.com/KatiePavlich/status/2016274911271043343?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Furthermore, a 2022 Census Bureau study <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/who-rigged-the-census-republican-states-democrats-population-undercount-overcount-biden-administration-11653084199?st=oc99iw&amp;reflink=article_copyURL_share">acknowledged</a> significant errors in the 2020 count: Republican-leaning states such as Arkansas, Florida, and Texas were undercounted, while Democratic-leaning states such as New York and Rhode Island were overcounted. These inaccuracies likely cost Florida and Texas additional House seats in the previous cycle, a discrepancy attributed to pandemic-era data collection challenges.

Studio shot of red and blue chess pawns symbolizing US Democratic and Republican parties

New Census Data Signals A Coming Republican Edge In 2030

Census Bureau

Elections

Electoral College

Politics

A CNN correspondent gave a report from Tehran that effectively served as a puff piece for the despotic Iranian regime, omitting the fact that the murderous government had killed thousands of protesters while warning of the Iranian regime’s defiant message to the Trump administration.
“Iran’s leadership is sending a strong and very defiant message to the United States, and specifically, of course, to the Trump administration,” CNN International Correspondent Frederik Pleitgen said.  “You could see it here on this gigantic poster on Revolution Square in central Tehran. The message on this massive poster is, ‘If you sow the wind you will reap the whirlwind,’ obviously meaning if the United States attacks Iran, Iran will retaliate in a massive way, which could, of course, lead to a major military confrontation between the United States and Iran.”
The Iranian Islamic regime has a history of braggadocio; in 2020, after a U.S. strike killed terror master Qasem Soleimani, Iran vowed “harsh revenge&#8221; and the expulsion of all U.S. forces from the Middle East. In 2024, after an Israeli airstrike destroyed a building in Damascus used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Iran threatened an &#8220;unprecedented&#8221; response and launched 300 drones and missiles; 99% were intercepted. Iran immediately declared the matter &#8220;concluded.&#8221; In 2025, after pledging &#8220;all-out total war&#8221; that would &#8220;end the Zionist regime,” barrages were largely neutralized by superior Israeli technology. Retaliation against the U.S. for its bombing of Iran&#8217;s nuclear facilities was limited to a symbolic strike on a base in Qatar to save face.
The regime often &#8220;talks big&#8221; for its proxies (Hezbollah, Houthis, militias in Iraq). However, when these proxies face existential threats — such as the fall of the Assad regime in Syria or the degradation of Hezbollah in 2024-2025 — Tehran has historically been unwilling to enter a direct, high-stakes war to save them.
Pleitgen made sure to feature Iranians who propagandized on behalf of the Iranian regime, saying, “And that’s also something that’s on the minds of many of the people that we’ve been speaking to here as well.” One woman derisively laughed and told him, “I’m not sure what to say; I think they’re all collaborating with one another against the interest of the Iranian people.” A man echoed, “I don’t think Trump dares to attack. He’s more bluffing.”
Pleitgen continued his puffery thus: “All this comes, of course, as President Trump weighs his options on what to do next. The U.S. has pulled together a substantial military force here in this region but the Iranians also say they’ve replenished their stockpiles of ballistic missiles and are ready to hit back hard any time.”
He referred to the protests in which the regime murdered possibly tens of thousands of protesters without detailing the massive number of dead: “Now, of course, all this comes in the wake of those large protests that happened here in Iran in the early part of January.”
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Iran’s leadership is sending a defiant warning to the United States as tensions soar. <a href="https://twitter.com/fpleitgenCNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fpleitgenCNN</a> reports from inside Iran, and speaks to residents on the streets of the capital Tehran. <a href="https://t.co/iXNlRQCLzc">pic.twitter.com/iXNlRQCLzc</a>
&mdash; CNN International PR (@cnnipr) <a href="https://twitter.com/cnnipr/status/2016201365224108519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Chancellor Merz meets NATO Secretary General Rutte

CNN’s Report From Tehran Echoes Regime Propaganda While Glossing Over Massacres

Iran

Trump Administration

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is introducing the &#8220;Save the Kurds Act&#8221; as violence escalates in northern Syria, proposing &#8220;crippling sanctions&#8221; against any group attacking Kurdish populations. Graham said turning America&#8217;s back on the Kurds, who played a central role in the destruction of the ISIS caliphate, would be a catastrophic blow to U.S. national security and its global reputation.
“Watching the deteriorating situation in Syria with great concern,” Graham stated. “The Kurds are under threat from the new Syrian government that is aligned with Turkey. It would be a disaster for America’s reputation and national security interests to abandon the Kurds, who were the chief ally in destroying the ISIS caliphate. Therefore, I will be introducing legislation this week designed to impose crippling sanctions on any government or group engaged in hostilities against the Kurds. The Save the Kurds Act, I believe, will receive strong bipartisan support and must have teeth to make it effective. Stay tuned.”
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Watching the deteriorating situation in Syria with great concern. The Kurds are under threat from the new Syrian government that is aligned with Turkey. 
It would be a disaster for America’s reputation and national security interests to abandon the Kurds, who were the chief ally…
&mdash; Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/2016126844945211676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
This legislative push comes as the Kurds face a renewed existential threat from a Turkish-aligned Syrian government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The Kurdish commitment to regional stability peaked between 2014 and 2019. Following the fall of Mosul in 2014 and the horrific massacre of thousands of Yazidis in Sinjar, Kurdish forces became the &#8220;boots on the ground&#8221; for the U.S.-led Global Coalition against ISIS. The YPG/YPJ in Syria and the Peshmerga in Iraq held a front line stretching roughly 1,000 kilometers. Key victories, such as the grueling siege of Kobane and the 2017 liberation of the ISIS capital, Raqqa, culminated in the 2019 defeat of the territorial caliphate in Baghouz. Despite these sacrifices, the Kurds now face a &#8220;nightmare reminiscent of 2014,&#8221; with ISIS elements re-emerging amid the chaos created by the new Syrian offensive.
The current crisis is the latest chapter in a long history of systemic persecution across the Middle East.
Following the 1979 Revolution, Kurdish hopes for autonomy were crushed when Ayatollah Khomeini declared a &#8220;holy war,&#8221; leading to thousands of executions. Even today, the Iranian regime utilizes heavy weaponry to suppress Kurdish-led movements, such as the 2022 &#8220;Woman, Life, Freedom&#8221; protests.
For more than a century, Turkey has pursued aggressive assimilation policies toward its Kurdish population, at times banning the Kurdish language and labeling Kurds &#8220;Mountain Turks.&#8221; Turkey views Syrian Kurdish forces as terrorists, leading to multiple military incursions and the current support of the Sharaa government’s offensive.
Recent reports describe horrific war crimes committed by Islamist militias, including the summary execution and beheading of Kurdish fighters. In Raqqa, snipers have reportedly targeted civilians, while thousands of ISIS detainees have escaped from facilities like Shaddadi and Al-Hol, creating a &#8220;security vacuum.&#8221;
The Kurds currently find themselves betrayed by a shifting geopolitical map. After Washington previously signaled that the Kurdish role had &#8220;expired,&#8221; Sen. Graham’s proposed sanctions aim to provide the &#8220;teeth&#8221; necessary to prevent a total ethnic cleansing. Without international intervention, the Kurds remain trapped between a hostile Syrian regime, a Turkish military offensive, and a lingering &#8220;ghost caliphate&#8221; of ISIS fighters seeking a bloody resurgence.

Crypto Firms Buoyed By Trump Get Rocked As US Bill Delayed

Graham Unveils ‘Save The Kurds Act’ To Protect Allies Who Helped U.S. Crush ISIS

Congress

Kurds

Lindsey Graham

Syria

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On Monday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) <a href="https://www.afcent.af.mil/News/Article/4389589/afcent-to-conduct-readiness-exercise-generate-combat-airpower/">announced</a> a significant escalation of military activity in the Middle East, including a multi-day readiness exercise and the strategic arrival of a carrier strike group. These maneuvers come amid the violent crackdown on protesters by the Iranian regime.
Time magazine <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2026/01/27/iran-protests-death-toll-could-surpass-more-than-30000-reports-claim">cited</a> two senior Iranian health ministry officials who said the tyrannical Iranian regime had killed at least 30,000 people, while UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Iran Mai Sato told Le Monde she had received reports indicating the death toll had reached the tens of thousands.
&#8220;Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) will be conducting a multi-day readiness exercise to demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower across the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility,&#8221; CENTCOM stated.
That area spans more than 4 million square miles, stretching from Northeast Africa across the Middle East to Central and South Asia, and includes key waterways such as the Persian (Arabian) Gulf, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Oman.
Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is spearheading a comprehensive readiness exercise designed to demonstrate the United States&#8217; ability to rapidly deploy and sustain combat airpower. Lt. Gen. Derek France, the AFCENT commander, stated, &#8220;Our Airmen are proving they can disperse, operate, and generate combat sorties under demanding conditions—safely, precisely and alongside our partners. This is about upholding our commitment to maintaining combat-ready Airmen and the disciplined execution required to keep airpower available when and where it’s needed.”
The strategy is intended to validate the rapid deployment of personnel and advanced aircraft, such as F-35 Lightning IIs and F-15E Strike Eagles, while strengthening coordination with regional partners.
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Simultaneously with these aerial exercises, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three destroyers arrived in the Middle East. While CENTCOM officially stated the strike group was deployed to &#8220;promote regional security and stability,&#8221; the arrival coincides with a period of intense friction between Washington and Tehran. The region had been without a U.S. aircraft carrier since the USS Gerald R. Ford was redirected to the Caribbean in October. President Donald Trump said the fleet was sent &#8220;just in case,&#8221; while also warning that military intervention remains an option.
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President Trump has threatened that mass executions of prisoners or continued killings of peaceful demonstrators could trigger U.S. airstrikes. He warned that such an intervention would dwarf last year’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The current buildup — which includes Tomahawk missiles and a surge in military cargo flights — mirrors the activity seen prior to those previous engagements.
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US deploys carrier strike group to Middle East, strengthening military presence in region

U.S. Military Ramps Up Major Combat Readiness Drills In The Middle East

Centcom

A  bookstore owner from Minneapolis who has joined an “economic blackout” to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement likened ICE to Nazi death camps, saying, “I&#8217;m not saying they&#8217;re putting people in ovens — yet.”
On CNN’s “The Lead,” host Jake Tapper noted, “Hundreds of businesses statewide have closed in solidarity, joining in a so-called economic blackout. One of those businesses participating is an independent bookstore in Minneapolis called Moon Palace Books and the co-owner, Jamie Schwesnedl, joins me now. Jamie, why was it important for you and your wife to close your bookstore today?”
“Well, Jake, we can&#8217;t do business as usual right now anyway because our city has been invaded by masked gunmen kidnapping family members and friends and neighbors of ours to send them to concentration camps,” Schwesnedl replied. “Additionally, there&#8217;s a lot of businesses in our area that have staff or customers or owners who are afraid to come to work, afraid to come in and shop. People are closing down today and we felt like it wouldn&#8217;t be kind or fair for us to stay open. So we&#8217;re closing in solidarity to help send a message.”
“I&#8217;m not here to defend ICE, but I&#8217;m not a big fan of people using the term concentration camp to describe detention camps,” Tapper protested. “That has a very specific meaning in terms of people that —”
“I understand that,” Schwesnedl responded. “But they take people to Fort Snelling here, which literally was built as a concentration camp. And Alligator Alcatraz, which I think we can all agree is a concentration camp. Not saying they&#8217;re Dachau, I&#8217;m not saying they&#8217;re putting people in ovens yet, but these are concentration camps.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CNN guest implies ICE will soon start to &#8220;put people in ovens&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Nieyp5FrRO">pic.twitter.com/Nieyp5FrRO</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2015827740776083877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Schwesnedl’s outrageous comparison of ICE to Nazis mocks the horrific mass murder of six million Jews and millions of others committed by the German Reich during World War II and their deadly efficiency at doing so.
The elite of society joined in the Nazis’ mass murder, whether engineers, scientists, lawyers, bankers, or doctors. In just one example, in October 1941, SS architect Walter Dejaco <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/25/opinion/walter-dejaco-auschwitz-architect/">drafted</a> Auschwitz’s first industrial crematorium, applying professional precision to mass murder. His designs solved the Nazis’ central logistical problem: not how to kill Jews, but how to dispose of bodies at scale. The crematoria and gas chambers he helped design could incinerate thousands daily, mostly Jews. Historians argue Dejaco was “more effective at killing” than guards, because his architectural efficiency made genocide feasible.

GERMANY-HISTORY-WWII-HOLOCAUST

Minneapolis Bookstore Owner Sparks Outrage By Comparing ICE To Nazi Death Camps On CNN

Minneapolis

Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, is considering litigation against the anti-ICE activists who disrupted a Sunday worship service on January 18.
The DOJ arrested three activists who disrupted the service: Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and William Kelly. Federal authorities charged them under a law that bars obstructing access to houses of worship and related conspiracy statutes for interfering with constitutionally protected religious rights.
DOJ officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and civil-rights leadership, framed the action as enforcement of federal protections for places of worship, emphasizing that disrupting a service violates federal law. Bondi stated, “If you protested and went into that church on the Sunday and you terrorized the parishioners, we are coming after you. &#8230; We are coming after you if you participated in that. I don&#8217;t care who you are. If you&#8217;re a failed CNN journalist, you have no right to do that in this country. We don&#8217;t live in a third world country. We’re going to protect our houses of worship in this country.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon <a href="https://x.com/AAGDhillon/status/2014798844463112512">echoed,</a> “The JusticeDept will identify &amp; hold accountable every person who unlawfully interrupted this church service. @AGPamBondi  and I will not tolerate harassment of Americans at worship—especially from agitators posing as ‘journalists.’”
Renee Carlson, General Counsel for True North Legal, which represents the church, <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2015777060422053953">told</a> Fox &amp; Friends on Monday morning, “What I would say here is we have a situation where rights were violated, those rights have to be protected, and there is a law here that can be accessed to ensure those protections. We are thankful that the Department of Justice is moving swiftly to make sure that happens, and the church will continue to evaluate their legal options to make sure that churches in Minnesota, and especially Cities Church, are protected.”
Last week, Carlson issued a statement in which she said, &#8220;The First Amendment does not allow premeditated plots or coordinated actions to violate the sanctity of a sanctuary, disrupt worship, and intimidate small children. There is no &#8216;press pass&#8217; to invade a sanctuary or to conspire to interrupt religious services. The Constitution protects citizens from threats against fundamental rights by the government, but it also requires government to protect those same rights when they are jeopardized by private actors.”
Doug Wardlow, director of litigation for True North Legal, added, &#8220;The First Amendment protects the God-given rights of every American to assemble and to worship God. It does not give anyone the right to invade a church and terrorize worshippers. That&#8217;s a federal crime: the FACE Act prohibits intimidating or interfering with people worshipping in a church. It is outrageous that, instead of doing their jobs and protecting Minnesotans&#8217; rights, state officials like Keith Ellison choose to mock the invasion of a church. &#8230; We are thankful for the Justice Department&#8217;s swift action, and we are exploring all legal options to protect the church and prevent further invasions.&#8221;

Gavel on desk

Cities Church Weighs Legal Action Against Anti-ICE Protesters Who Stormed Sunday Service

Anti-ICE

Church

Minnesota

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Hank Berrien