Update (1430ET):

President Trump has taken to social media to express his anger and frustration at the events in Minneapolis. Specifically, that the suspect was armed… and where were the police!

“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go – What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers? The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do!”

And he knows who is to blame:

“Much of what you’re witnessing is a COVER UP for this Theft and Fraud. The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric!“

Trump concludes with a clear message:

“LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB! 12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals, many of them violent, have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota. If they were still there, you would see something far worse than you are witnessing today!”

Full statement below:

Update (1344ET):

New angle of the shooting incident:

Another angle of federal agents killing a Minnesota legal observer, which appears to come from the direction of the woman in pink filming from the sidewalk.

Obtained by Drop Site News pic.twitter.com/IT56ftPkYP

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) January 24, 2026

*  *  * 

(Update: 1240ET): 

The armed man shot by federal agents today in Minneapolis has died, according to the city’s police chief. 

Close up picture of the suspect who was shot and is confirmed to be dead. pic.twitter.com/cvpprtQe1e

— Kim “Katie” USA (@KimKatieUSA) January 24, 2026

DHS has issued a statement regarding the incident: 

At 9:05 AM CT, as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault, an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, seen here. 

The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted. More details on the armed struggle are forthcoming. 

Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The suspect also had 2 magazines and no ID—this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement. 
 
About 200 rioters arrived at the scene and began to obstruct and assault law enforcement on the scene, crowd control measures were deployed for the safety of the public and law enforcement. 

As noted by DHS, protesters have come out in force, resulting in the deployment of tear gas.

🚨BREAKING: Total CHAOS unfolding right now at the Minneapolis Border Patrol shooting scene,leftist mobs swarming, clashing with agents, blocking streets, and turning it into a war zone.

This is exactly why the Insurrection Act needs to be invoked!
https://t.co/8X2TYFcmKR

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) January 24, 2026

🚨 JUST IN: Federal agents are UNLEASHING crowd control munitions on leftists in Minneapolis after an armed suspect was shot and killed

Mayor Frey and Tim Walz caused this. They called for people to FIGHT BACK against Border agents, and look what happened.

THEY SHOULD RESIGN.… pic.twitter.com/ZTGvWtLjMc

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 24, 2026

🚨 BREAKING: Minneapolis looks like a WARZONE right now after leftist rioters swarm agents and force them to unload a ball BARRAGE of tear gas

SEND IN THE TROOPS!

DO NOT BACK DOWN TO THESE THUGS! pic.twitter.com/Lb6fUhaSXE

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 24, 2026

RELATED: Odds of a shutdown just spiked on Polymarket – as DHS legislation that funds ICE at current levels without policy restrictions is now in the Senate and needs 60 votes to pass by next Friday. With today’s shooting, it’s going to be an uphill battle to say the least.

Stay tuned for updates, it’s about to go off… 

*  *  * 

Weeks after a left-wing legal observer was shot and killed in Minneapolis amid pressure campaigns against federal officers carrying out immigration enforcement operations in the sanctuary city – reports of another federal agent involved in a shooting has hit social media feeds. 

“Multiple law enforcement sources tell me there has just been a Border Patrol involved shooting in Minneapolis near 26th Street & Nicollet Ave. with Border Patrol shooting a person. I’m told the person is “down” and medics are working on them. No details yet on who it was or what led up to the shooting. Working sources and will update when I have more,” Fox News reporter Bill Melugin wrote on X.

BREAKING: Multiple law enforcement sources tell me there has just been a Border Patrol involved shooting in Minneapolis near 26th Street & Nicollet Ave. with Border Patrol shooting a person. I’m told the person is “down” and medics are working on them. No details yet on who it…

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 24, 2026

Melugin noted that the Department of Homeland Security told him the suspect was armed with a pistol. The reporter posted an image of what appears to be a Sig Sauer P320, possibly a 9 mm, with a Sig optic on the slide.

BREAKING: DHS tells @FoxNews the suspect was armed with a gun, which has been recovered by federal agents. pic.twitter.com/GLZJMdwIup

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 24, 2026

Citizen journalist Collin Rugg posted footage that appears to show the final moments before the suspect was shot. It appears he was in a struggle with multiple federal agents. About 20 seconds into the video, an apparent gunshot is heard, with the suspect lying on the ground.

JUST IN: There has been a Border Patrol-involved shooting in Minneapolis, according to Fox News’ @BillMelugin_.

The incident reportedly happened from across the street from Glam Doll Donuts near 26th St. and Nicollet Ave.

“I’m told the person is ‘down’ and medics are working on… pic.twitter.com/kVioh8lOTr

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 24, 2026

City of Minneapolis on X responds to the incident: 

We are aware of reports of another shooting involving federal law enforcement in the area of 26th Street W and Nicollet Ave. We are working to confirm additional details. We ask the public to remain calm and avoid the immediate area.

— City of Minneapolis (@CityMinneapolis) January 24, 2026

Gov. Walz also responds: 

I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening.

The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.

— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 24, 2026

*This story is developing. Check back for more updates.

Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times,

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Jan. 23 refuted reports that ICE agents detained a 5-year-old boy in Minnesota, saying the child was abandoned by his parents during an immigration enforcement operation.

Columbia Heights Public School District had previously said that 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken into custody along with his father while in their driveway on Jan. 20. School officials said an ICE agent asked the child to knock on the door to see if there was anyone inside.

DHS on Friday provided details on the situation and said the primary concern of its officers was the child’s safety and welfare.

“ICE did NOT target, arrest a child or use a child as ‘bait.’ ICE law enforcement officers were the only people primarily concerned with the welfare of this child,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said on X.

McLaughlin said federal agents conducted a targeted operation to arrest the child’s father, identified as Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, an illegal immigrant from Ecuador, but he fled and abandoned his child.

For safety reasons, one ICE agent remained with the child while other officers apprehended Conejo Arias, according to McLaughlin.

McLaughlin added that officers had tried to ask the “alleged mother,” who was inside the house, to take custody of the child and assured her she would not be taken into custody, but she refused.

“During this situation, agitators swarmed the scene and began yelling and blowing horns, scaring the child,” McLaughlin said.

“Following the mother’s abandonment of the child, officers abided by the father’s wishes to keep the child with him and even got the child McDonald’s and played his favorite music. Father and son are together at Dilley,” she added.

According to McLaughlin, parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will arrange for the children to be placed with a safe person the parent designates.

The move, she said, aligns with how the former administration conducted immigration enforcement.

Zena Stenvik, superintendent of the Columbia Heights Public School District, told a press conference that another adult living in the home, who was outside during the encounter, had begged the agents to let them take care of the child, but was denied.

“Instead, the agent took the child out of the still-running vehicle, led him to the door, and directed him to knock on the door, asking to be let in, in order to see if anyone else was home—essentially using a 5-year-old as bait,” Stenvik said.

Stenvik said Liam’s middle-school brother came home 20 minutes later to find both his father and brother missing. Two school principals from the district came to the house to offer support to the family.

The superintendent said that four students from the district, including Liam, have been apprehended by ICE so far.

The operation in Minnesota is part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement targeting illegal immigrants.

As of Jan. 19, ICE has arrested 10,000 criminal illegal immigrants, many of whom were “killing Americans, hurting children, and reigning terror in Minneapolis,” according to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

Another significant military purge appears underway in China, as Saturday morning the West woke up to news that China’s most senior military officer, who is second only to Xi Jinping, has been put under investigation over alleged “grave violations of discipline and the law.”

Gen. Zhang Youxia is a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, the Communist Party body that controls China’s armed forces, and this comes as somewhat of a major shock given he is widely regarded as President Xi’s closest ally within the military – or at least prior to this.

Another member of the commission, Gen. Liu Zhenli, has also been placed under investigation, according to the Defense Ministry on the same day. He’s in charge of the PLA military’s Joint Staff Department.

No further details have been given regarding the accusations against General Zhang Youxia, but such language is often presented in such crackdowns as a euphemism for corruption.

Xi has described corruption as “the biggest threat” to the Communist Party, having previously several times warned that the struggle against it “remains grave and complex.” But critics as well as Western observers say this has served as a convenient and public PR mechanism for sidelining political rivals, and strengthening Xi’s power and hold on the levers of power.

The Wall Street Journal’s Jonathan Cheng says that General Zhang’s downfall is surprising as not only has he known Xi for decades, but is the “most senior member of military hierarchy to face dismissal since fallout of 1989 Tiananmen protests.”

And a former Central Intelligence Agency analyst who follows Chinese elite politics, Christopher K. Johnson, tells the NY Times on Saturday, “This move is unprecedented in the history of the Chinese military and represents the total annihilation of the high command.”

Chinese social media rumors: Previously, on the evening of January 21, there were online rumors that Zhang Youxia’s suspected residence in Beijing was surrounded by plainclothes officers.

The rumors and speculation were rampant over the last several days, triggered by a conspicuous absence at a high-profile military event where Xi gave an address:

Two of China’s top generals, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, apparently did not attend a gathering of all of China’s senior political leaders on Tuesday. Their absence has fired the starting pistol on speculation they have been purged, speculation that will now continue until confirmation or they appear in public.

The event in question was the catchily-titled Study Session for Principal Officials at the Provincial and Ministerial Level on Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. President Xi Jinping attended and gave an opening speech, flanked by all six members of the Politburo Standing Committee as well as the vice president.

Eagle-eyed observers quickly noticed that while the second-ranked Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Shengmin was sat in the audience, Zhang Youxia, who is the first-ranked vice chairman, and Liu Zhenli, who is the only non-ranking member, both appeared to be absent.

This is the latest ‘anti-corruption’ purge action since the October news of the expulsion of nine senior generals, which marked one of the largest such crackdowns of top military officials in decades. 

Xi ongoing purge of nearly his entire top military ranks show his total control. Also shows Stalin-like paranoia against any potential rival power bases. This purge reminiscent of Stalin’s bloody purge of Marshal Tukhachevsky and his top Red Army generals, which greatly weakened… https://t.co/EozETHyj8q pic.twitter.com/tXZDlS6vDN

— Politics1.com (@Politics1com) January 24, 2026

Zhang’s political pedigree runs deep: his father was among the founding generals of the Chinese Communist Party. He joined the army in 1968 and is one of the few current senior leaders said to have actual combat experience. Zhang had remained in his post beyond the customary retirement age for military officials, which was understood as a sign Xi’s confidence in him, until now apparently.

Pro-Beijing pundits are offering an alternative take to the Western reporting…

China purging officials who send their spouse and children to live abroad so Western gov can’t use them as leverage pic.twitter.com/yJTSQk9Lvb

— Carl Zha (@CarlZha) January 11, 2026

More to come? It is likely as WSJ’s chief China’s correspondent Lingling Wei describes, “And this is far from the end. With thousands of officers having risen through the ranks under Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, these individuals now recognize they are primary targets for a systemic purge.” She reports that “Mobile devices have been seized across ranks and all units are now on high alert.”

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The IRS must overhaul its oversight of the nonprofit sector amid the fraud scandal in Minnesota that has led to taxpayer funds being funneled for terror activities, Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee said in a Jan. 20 statement.

The lawmakers sent a letter to IRS Acting Commissioner Scott Bessent and CEO Frank Bisignano on Tuesday, raising concerns about “significant fraud, waste, and abuse” of taxpayer dollars.

“As you are aware, investigative journalists recently uncovered a network of fraud involving Minnesota’s Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services program and non-profit organizations in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic—a scheme that not only seemingly funneled millions, if not billions, of taxpayer dollars to the Al-Shabaab terrorist group, but has also resulted in the prosecutions of nearly 80 individuals by the Department of Justice (‘DOJ’) to date,” they wrote.

“This is unacceptable.”

Al-Shabaab is a militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts and is responsible for the assassination of several peace activists, journalists, international aid workers, and civil society personalities, according to the National Counterterrorism Center. It was designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2008 by the State Department.

During a press conference in Minneapolis on Jan. 9, Bessent said the U.S. Treasury had launched an enforcement campaign targeting Somali-linked fraud networks in Minnesota. According to Bessent, billions of dollars intended for disabled seniors, hungry children, and families with special-needs children were diverted, with some of the funds likely diverted to extremist groups such as Al-Shabaab.

“We have traced where the money went, and we are examining it,” he said, adding that the findings of the probe were “highly concerning.”

The GOP letter highlighted the issue of a Minnesota nonprofit, Feeding Our Future, that was launched to serve food to children from low-income groups. However, its promoters used more than $250 million to buy jewelry, real estate, and luxury goods.

Since 2022, dozens of people linked to Feeding Our Future have been convicted. During a Jan. 7 hearing, Minnesota state Rep. Kristin Robbins said the total fraud in this case had hit about $310 million. In addition, investigators are probing 14 Minnesota Medicaid programs, suspecting $9 billion or more in fraudulent payments.

This potential terror-financing scheme by a tax-exempt organization “calls into question the current safeguards in place to protect taxpayer dollars,” the letter said. “The concern over tax-exempt organizations funneling taxpayer dollars to designated terrorist organizations and other illicit purposes cannot be understated.”

Lawmakers called on the IRS to hold tax-exempt organizations accountable and ensure the funds do not end up in the hands of terror outfits.

Crackdown in Minnesota

Meanwhile, Minnesota is seeing stringent federal immigration enforcement activities. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently said that more than 10,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested in the state. The DOJ has started issuing subpoenas to top officials in Minnesota.

Responding to reports of the DOJ investigation, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s office said on Jan. 17 that they have not received any notice of a probe.

“Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic,” Walz said.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also responded to reports of him being subpoenaed in a federal probe.

“When the federal gov weaponizes its power to intimidate local leaders for doing their jobs, every American should be concerned,” Frey said in a Jan. 21 post on X.

“We shouldn’t live in a country where federal law enforcement is used to play politics or crack down on local voices they disagree with.”

Amid reports of fraud perpetrated by Somalis in Minnesota, including convictions of naturalized citizens, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) has introduced the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation Act, his office said in a Jan. 19 statement.

The bill seeks to expand the denaturalization process for individuals who have committed fraud or serious felonies or joined up with terror outfits, it said.

“The rampant fraud uncovered in Minnesota must be a wakeup call,” Schmitt said.

“People who commit felony fraud, serious felonies, or join terrorist organizations like drug cartels shortly after taking their citizenship oaths fail to uphold the basic standards of citizenship. They must be denaturalized because they have proven they never met the requirements for the great honor of American citizenship in the first place.”

How Will This Weekend’s Mega-Storm Compare to the Winter Blasts of 2016 and 1996?

Meteorologist Ben Noll says this weekend’s snowstorm could be similar to the Blizzard of 1996. For our more seasoned readers, 1996 was an unforgettable winter. Many younger readers, however, have grown up in snow droughts and years of corporate media narratives centered on Al Gore’s global warming alarmism.

Yet here we are on Saturday morning, looking over the latest weather models that show more than half the country under a winter storm warning. Noll wrote on X earlier that “55 percent of all people living in the United States — some 190 million — were under an alert related to the storm.”

The latest snowfall predictions stretch from Texas to the Northeast.

“This is legitimately one of the biggest storms I can recall tracking. Snow spans from Arizona to DC this evening,” private weather forecaster BAWMX wrote on X.

This is legitimately one of the biggest storms I can recall tracking. Snow spans from Arizona to DC this evening… pic.twitter.com/GaxnLzjF9U

— BAM Weather (@bam_weather) January 24, 2026

Winter appears locked in across the Lower 48 for the next several weeks.

Winter is LOCKED in for the next 3-4 weeks.

Several cold blasts
Several storm threats

Its 2014 version 2.0
Period. https://t.co/jvirtQ6o4e pic.twitter.com/17YGcYyarZ

— BAM Weather (@bam_weather) January 24, 2026

Next, let’s refine the snowfall outlook for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Courtesy of private weather forecaster NY NJ PA Weather weighs in below.

Thanks to early-week client notes from energy research firm Criterion Research, we were well ahead of the curve in explaining how the Arctic cold blast, combined with a major winter storm, could create power-grid risks. The storm threatens to crimp natural gas supply through production freeze-offs and reduced pipeline flows, increasing pressure on already stressed-out regional power grids. Our focus will be on the PJM grid this weekend.

Here’s the reporting:

• NatGas Futs Erupt As Arctic Air Invasion Penetrates Deep Into US South

• US NatGas Spikes Most Since Ukraine Invasion On Arctic Blast, Major Winter Storm Threat

• US NatGas Poised For Biggest Weekly Spike On Record As “Blizzard Of ’96” Fears Resurface

• Appalachian NatGas Output Faces “Intense Losses” As Arctic Blast Drives Power Grid Risk Higher

• NatGas Jumps 75% As Extreme Cold, Blizzard Risks Threaten Appalachian Gas Supply

• NatGas “Tightening Shock” Sparks Historic Weekly Rally As Major Winter Storm Imminent

• Winter Storm Threatens Appalachian NatGas With ‘Freeze Offs’ As Data Center Demand Tightens PJM Grid

Crickets from Greta and the climate crisis cult this week. Oh, wait, that’s because the climate money ran out and the focus shifted entirely to Palestine. For those grounded in reality, prepare for what could be a historic winter storm this weekend. We’ve told readers in the PJM region and the Northeast to consider buying a whole-house generator, citing a Goldman note (read here). Become ungovernable with a wood fireplace and/or a coal-burning stove.

As for the travel space, it’s a nightmare. For anyone traveling over the next 24 to 48 hours, expect delays and cancellations.

So far, roughly 9,000 flights have reportedly been canceled.

By Robert Walton of UtilityDive

Stakeholders across the U.S. electric sector are preparing for Winter Storm Fern, which is expected to impact an area stretching from Texas to New York, as far north as the upper Midwest and into parts of the Southeast. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration anticipates the storm to begin today and run through Sunday.

Anticipating widespread power outages, local distribution utilities have been activating recovery plans and warning customers to be prepared. The North American Electric Reliability Corp. says it is “encouraged that industry has taken actions to prepare for what appears to be a very challenging winter storm system.”

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has asked grid operators to be prepared to utilize up to 35 GW of backup generation.

In a Thursday letter to reliability coordinators and balancing authorities, Wright called for the Department of Energy to “prepare to issue orders” under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act to “ensure that the tens of gigawatts of available backup generation, which would otherwise stand idle, is available during emergency conditions.”

When notified, “even merely by phone call … I will review the facts and, if appropriate, authorize the Reliability Coordinators and Balancing Authorities to direct backup generation facilities to run as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3, thereby avoiding potential blackouts,” Wright said.

The letter offered few details about the 35 GW of backup generation, and DOE did not immediately respond to questions.

According to Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program, the units are diesel generators located at data centers and commercial properties. 

“As the order recognizes, most of these units are not grid connected, and so have no utility or coordination abilities to address a system emergency,” Slocum said in a statement. “Unmentioned in the order is the massive harm to public health stemming from long-duration operations of these polluting units.”

The Winter Storm Fern has been compared to Winter Storm Uri, which caused power outages across the country in 2021 and was particularly harsh in Texas, where almost 250 people died. The catastrophe led to reforms across the Texas utility sector, and in other areas.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas issued a weather watch Wednesday noting the possibility for higher electrical demand and the lower reserves during Winter Storm Fern. However, grid conditions “are expected to be normal,” it said.

The Lone Star State grid operator also said it is “coordinating preparation efforts with the Texas Energy Reliability Council, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and other state agencies, as well as with Market Participants.”

CenterPoint Energy, which serves the Houston area, said it has approximately 3,300 employees and contract workers ready to support “storm preparation and potential restoration” across its territory. The utility serves approximately 2.7 million customers across the Houston area and surrounding communities.

Utilities around the country have signaled to customers they are prepared for the storm and recovery. In New Jersey, PSE&G said it is ready for “significant snowfall and extended frigid temperatures,” and warned customers that “snow and ice can bring hazards that disrupt power.” The utility serves about 2.4 million electric customers and 1.9 million gas customers.

“Our crews are ready 24-7 to restore power outages and handle increased requests to repair heating systems for our customers,” John Latka, PSE&G senior vice president of electric transmission and distribution, said in a statement.

In South Carolina, Dominion Energy said customers “should take steps now to prepare and keep themselves and their families safe.” The utility serves electricity to 3.6 million homes and businesses in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, and regulated gas service to 500,000 customers in South Carolina.

“We’re closely monitoring the forecast calling for a mix of wintry precipitation, and that kind of weather can create significant challenges for our crews,” Keller Kissam, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina, said in a statement. The utility has activated an emergency operations center from which to respond, Kissam added.

The New York grid operator has adequate generation in place under forecast conditions, but said it would be keeping a close eye on fuel supplies.

We’ve “seen generators in recent winters challenged with accessing adequate fuel capacity during very cold conditions,” Aaron Markham, vice president of operations for the New York Independent System Operator, said in a statement. “We continue to work closely with power producers, utility companies, and neighboring grid operators to assess the status of generating and transmission capacity in advance of the cold snap.”

While most of the storm preparation focus is on grid reliability and its impacts on residential consumers, financial analysts have also keyed in on potential business impacts. 

“More data center, more renewables, & less coal creates a vulnerable situation,” Jefferies equity analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith wrote in a Thursday note.

“We view reliability and resource adequacy shortfall events as key negative tail risks for independent power producers,” Dumoulin-Smith said. “High profile power outages in data center markets like [Texas] would lead to further stakeholder push-back on data center demand outpacing supply additions.”

The private jets are departing, $2,500 per night sex workers have cleared out, and European globalist elites spent the week annoyed by the America First message from President Trump and Elon Musk at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The rationale for California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s attendance remains unclear, but his presence and conduct were widely viewed as an embarrassment for the U.S. With the event concluded, attention now shifts to the weaponry deployed to protect heads of state and billionaires.

On Thursday, Rebel News journalist Avi Yemini was boots on the ground in Davos, where he shared his observations of the military technologies deployed across the area, from the streets to helipads to the regional airport.

“Remember, these are the ‘masters of the universe’ who tell us that our carbon footprint is going to destroy the planet and we’ve got to do everything to reduce it,” Yemini said. “Meanwhile, they’re flying on private jets into private helipads.”

Yemini pointed out, “What I’ve noticed that’s different about Davos 2026 … is the security presence. This year at this helipad, there’s extraordinary anti-aircraft and anti-drone defenses set up.”

“There’s also a much larger-than-usual military presence in and around Davos. So it begs the question: is there a particular threat they’re responding to? Or is it the mere fact that this year the World Economic Forum boasts the most VVIPs, from world leaders, to business people, to NGOs, in its history,” he continued.

🚨WEF oligarchs using private helipad to avoid traffic@OzraeliAvi Yemini gave viewers an exclusive look at the private helipad being used by the ‘elites’ to avoid traffic on their way to the World Economic Forum.

Rebel News journalist Avi Yemini is on the ground in Davos,… pic.twitter.com/OkIXrzA0ac

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 22, 2026

Yemini said this year’s defense included AI-powered drone detection and Swiss Army anti-aircraft systems, as well as the usual troops on the ground and other high-tech systems to protect the rich and famous.

Via The Cradle

Washington has threatened to block Iraq’s access to its own oil revenue held in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York if representatives of Shia armed parties enjoying support from Iran are included in the next government, Reuters  reported Friday.

“The US warning was delivered repeatedly over the past two months by the US Charges d’Affaires in Baghdad, Joshua Harris, in conversations with Iraqi officials and influential Shi’ite leaders,” Reuters reported, citing three Iraqi officials and one source familiar with the matter.

The threat is part of US President Donald Trump’s effort to weaken Iran through a “maximum pressure” campaign of economic sanctions, including on the Islamic Republic’s oil exports. Trump also bombed Iran’s nuclear sites as part of Israel’s unprovoked 12-day war on Iran in June.

Because of US sanctions, few countries can trade with Iran, increasing its reliance on Iraqi markets for exports and on Baghdad’s banking system as a monetary outlet to the rest of the world.

As punishment, the US government has restricted the flow of dollars to Iraqi banks on several occasions in recent years, raising the price of imports for Iraqi consumers and making it difficult for Iraq to pay for desperately needed natural gas imports from Iran.

However, this is the first time the US has threatened to cut off the flow of dollars from the New York Federal Reserve to the Central Bank of Iraq.

Officials in Washington can threaten Baghdad in this way because the country was forced to place all revenues from oil sales into an account at the New York Fed following the US military’s invasion of the country in 2003.

This gives Washington strong leverage against Baghdad, as oil revenue accounts for 90 percent of the Iraqi government’s budget. While occupying Iraq for decades and controlling its oil revenues, Washington accuses Iran of infringing on Iraq’s sovereignty.

“The United States supports Iraqi sovereignty, and the sovereignty of every country in the region. That leaves absolutely no role for Iran-backed militias that pursue malign interests, cause sectarian division, and spread terrorism across the region,” a US State Department spokesperson told Reuters.

Some Shia political parties, including several that make up the Coordination Framework (CF), are linked to the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), which see themselves as anti-terror militias formed in 2014 with Iranian support to fight ISIS and later incorporated into the Iraqi armed forces.

Iraq held parliamentary elections in November and is still in the process of forming the next government. Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, who enjoyed good relations with both Washington and Tehran, has decided not to contend for another term as premier.

The decision has cleared the way for Nouri al-Maliki, of the State of Law Coalition and the Dawa Party, to potentially return to power. 

Maliki, who enjoys support from the PMU-linked parties, served as prime minister between 2006 and 2014, including when ISIS invaded western Iraq and conquered large swathes of the country. 

As the U.S. takes control of #Venezuela’s oil revenues, questions around transparency, oversight, & #corruption risks loom large. @politico examines the parallels with Iraq with insights from @K2Integrity’s @JCZarate1 on the challenges of accountability: https://t.co/JO7Dvq93hQ

— K2 Integrity (@K2Integrity) January 23, 2026

Trump threatened a new bombing campaign against Iran following several weeks of violent riots and attacks on security forces organized and incited by Israeli intelligence. Trump allegedly called off the bombing after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned him that Tel Aviv’s air defenses were not prepared for a new confrontation with Iran.

During the war in June, Iran retaliated against Israel by launching barrages of ballistic missiles and drones, which did severe damage to Israeli military sites, including in Tel Aviv.

President Trump has added fresh fuel to the fire amid historic inter-NATO tensions as the Greenland issue is front and center. The US leader told Fox News on Thursday the United States had ultimately “never needed” the NATO alliance and accused allies of staying “a little off the front lines” in Afghanistan.

“I’ve always said, will they be there if we ever needed them? That’s really the ultimate test. I’m not sure of that,” Trump said in the interview, a clip of which can be watched below. “We’ve never needed them. They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan and this or that. And they did. They stayed a little back, off the front lines.”

Trump on NATO: “I’ve always said, will they be there if we ever needed them? That’s really the ultimate test. I’m not sure of that. We’ve never needed them. They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan and this or that. And they did. They stayed a little back, off the front… pic.twitter.com/fA0i1S3LxY

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) January 22, 2026

Trump’s words have gone viral across Europe, triggering an avalanche of angry denunciations, with various leaders – including military generals – demanding an apology.

One of the fiercest reactions is coming from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, given that 457 members of the British armed forces died in Afghanistan over the course of the 20+ year-long war and occupation.

Starmer denounced the remarks as “insulting and frankly appalling” and suggested the US president should apologize.

He said he will never forget the sacrifice and bravery of British soldiers who fought for the US-NATO coalition in Afghanistan, and added he is “not surprised” Trump’s words “have caused such hurt”. Downing Street has also slammed the remarks as “wrong”.

The BBC and other UK outlets have been giving live coverage to British and European leaders’ reactions, and even interviewing family members of fallen soldiers. The outlet has reminded its audience that even Canada suffered significant troop losses:

Following the terror attacks of 11 September 2001, the US invoked Nato’s Article 5 – which treats an attack on one member as an attack against them all – and launched military action in Afghanistan.

A total of 51 countries – both Nato and non-Nato , external- took part in the conflict that followed.

Among Nato nations that fought in Afghanistan, 24 suffered casualties according to iCasualities, external, a website that has tracked deaths in the war from 2001 to 2021, when the troops withdrew.

Over this period, the US suffered the highest number of deaths overall – 2,465 – followed by the UK with 457, external and Canada with 158.

Prince Harry from the British Royal Family even served a tour in Afghanistan. People of various nationalities have in response been posting old war footage on social media, showing NATO troops actively fighting on the front lines. As examples…

Trump: “You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this and that. And they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines”.

Danish soldiers, Helmand Province, 2009: pic.twitter.com/wpAEeRm3VZ

— Rasmus Jarlov (@RasmusJarlov) January 22, 2026

🇬🇧 Here is a member of the British SAS Special Forces wearing just a Baseball Cap and a T-shirt whilst he “Stayed a little back, off the front lines” fighting the Taliban alongside the United States Marine. pic.twitter.com/zePwOaotML

— Bricktop_NAFO (@Bricktop_NAFO) January 23, 2026

Despite all the collective sacrifice, the Taliban today remains in firm control of Kabul and the central Asian country, following the big – and controversial – full American and allied withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

As for this Trump-Starmer tiff, one lesson that can be gleaned from a European perspective is that countries should be more cautious and skeptical in terms of blindly following Washington’s lead in its foreign wars and adventurism overseas. The Pax Americana tends to have a short memory, and so won’t necessarily be ‘thankful’ of allied sacrifices. The US as a ‘global police force’ (a trend especially of the GWOT era) uses, chews up, and spits out who it wants. That’s the cynical read anyway, somewhat confirmed in Trump’s latest remarks.

Authored by Andrew Korybko,

The 2.2 million men that are currently on the run amounts to 6.8% of the Ukrainian population and is slightly larger than the percentage of Asians in the US.

New Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov shockingly revealed that 200,000 men have already deserted thus far and ten times more (2 million) are actively dodging the draft, which are probably an underestimate but are in any case still very large numbers. To put that into context, Ukraine claimed in early 2025 to have had a population of 32 million, likely an overestimate, so the 2.2 million men who either deserted or dodged the draft amounts to at least 6.8% of the population currently on the run.

Rada Deputy Dmitry Razumkov claimed during a parliamentary session last month that his country had already lost half a million troops by then with an equal number wounded, possibly also an underestimate, while Ukraine is thought to currently field around 900,000 active troops. All of this data enables observers to better understand the significance of these “voluntary losses” since it should be clear by now that 2.2 million more troops would have certainly made a major difference for Ukraine.

That’s not to imply that it would have been able to reverse the military-strategic dynamics of the conflict that have trended in Russia’s favor since the epic failure of Ukraine’s NATO-backed counteroffensive in summer 2023, but perhaps it might have been able to decelerate the pace of its losses afterwards. Ukraine could have thus also been in a comparatively better diplomatic position too going into Trump 2.0 a year ago and that might have in turn predisposed him to a relatively harder line towards Russia as well.

For that reason, while the scale of its desertions and draft-dodging can’t credibly be described as a game-changer, it can still be considered a significant variable that adversely affected Ukraine’s fortunes. By contrast, this was never a relevant factor for Russia, which hasn’t conscripted anyone unlike Ukraine. On that topic, it’s worthwhile reminding readers about Ukraine’s forcible conscription policy that’s been made infamous by viral videos showing officials snatching young and old men alike off the streets.

This footage and stories that draft-eligible males (25-60 years of age) heard through the grapevine are partly why 2 million of them decided to go on the run and dodge the draft. They’ve also seen drone footage of the conflict zone and are therefore well aware of how likely it is that they’ll be killed shortly after being deployed to the front. These men might sincerely consider themselves to be Ukrainian patriots in their hearts, however they conceptualize it, but they’re not willing to die for nothing.

This segues into the plummeting popularity of the conflict among the populace and increasing support for a quick end thereto per recent Gallup polling. Trump just blamed Zelensky for stalling peace talks, which is in direct opposition to the will of the same people in whose name he still acts despite the expire of his term in May 2024. Other than his authoritarian tendencies, corruption is likely responsible for his obstinance since he’s thought to be profiting from the conflict and might thus fear charges once it ends.

Whenever he’s asked about the conflict, Trump usually says that he wants to end it as soon as possible in order to stop the killing, which it’s now known has spooked at least 2.2 million Ukrainian men into either deserting or dodging the draft. The 6.8% of the population that’s currently on the run is slightly larger than the Asian population in the US (6.7%) per the last census. The sooner that the conflict ends, the sooner that they can re-enter the economy and help rebuild their country, unless they flee abroad first.