First, Trump short-circuited the Fed’s rate-cut process. Now he is going after QE by launching his own version of it. 

In a post on late Thursday post on Truth Social, President Trump said he was directing the purchase of $200 billion in mortgage bonds, which he framed as his latest effort to bring down housing costs ahead of the November midterm election.

“This will drive Mortgage Rates DOWN, monthly payments DOWN, and make the cost of owning a home more affordable,” Trump wrote in his post.

He added that his decision not to sell Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during his first term allowed them to amass “$200 BILLION DOLLARS IN CASH” and that he was making his announcement “because of that.”

Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte, said soon after that the president aims for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mae to execute the purchases. Pulte said Thursday the bond purchases “can be executed very quickly. We have the capability, we have the cash to do it, and we are going to go about executing it very smartly and in a very big way.”

“It is one of my many steps in restoring Affordability, something that the Biden Administration absolutely destroyed,” the president said. Mortgage backed securities rallied relative to Treasuries on the news.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have added billions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities and home loans to their balance sheets in recent months, fueling speculation that they’re trying to push down lending rates and boost their profitability ahead of a potential public offering; now those speculations have been validated. 

The government-backed housing-finance giants increased their retained portfolios, the portion of bonds and loans they hold onto rather than sell to investors, by more than 25% in the five months through October, according to recent figures.

The announcement comes one day after Trump said on Wednesday that he would seek to ban institutional investors from buying single-family homes. The president’s advisers have repeatedly raised alarms that affordability has become a political albatross for the GOP and could cost the party control of Congress in the elections this fall.

In keeping with Trump’s housing obsession, overnight Politico reported that the White House is drafting an executive order broadly targeted at addressing Americans’ frustration with the cost of living, including a push to allow people to dip into their retirement and college savings accounts to afford down payments on homes.

Of course, by simply adding even more fuel to the demand side – which is what this kind of conversion from savings into home equity will do – it will achieve the opposite of what Trump is pursuing, which means even more mortgage bond purchases, which means even more rate cuts, which means even more direct intervention in the market by various third parties, which means even more endogenous liquidity generated, and so on. Of course, it also means we have barely scratched the surface of where gold and bitcoin will eventually trade. 

By all accounts, protests and unrest have been spreading rapidly in Iran, now over a week-and-a-half into economic and anti-government protests which have begun to grind the country to a halt. On Thursday the demonstrations have disrupted life in the capital in a big way, and there are reports of nationwide internet and cellular outages.

Anti-government slogans and calls to “rise up” have been observed in Tehran and elsewhere, and in some places supporters of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi have actually heeded his repeat public calls to take to the streets (though this ‘pro-Shah’ contingent likely only remains an extreme minority at this stage).

NetBlocks has alleged that Iranian authorities have intentionally blocked internet access to the citizenry, possibly as a precursor to a bigger crackdown after dozens have been reported dead (some 45, based on unverified numbers, but which includes some security personnel) – but this remains speculation. 

The internet outages were first reported in western city of Kermanshah earlier in the day Thursday, but into the night hours (local), the NY Times is freshly describing, “As the government cracked down in various cities, internet connectivity data showed an abrupt and near-total drop in connection levels in Iran on Thursday afternoon, according to NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, and the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Internet Outage Detection and Analysis database.”

The country is nearly completely offline and in the dark as far as online communication and access. This is likely to only compound the nation’s problems, and stir up more sustained protests, after late last month a sudden currency slide amid already difficult economic conditions resulted in key central Tehran shops shuttering in protest and panic. US-led sanctions have loomed large over all of this.

Iranian Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday called for restraint among police and security forces in dealing with the raging crowds. “Any violent or coercive behavior should be avoided,” said Pezeshkian in an online statement. He called for “utmost restraint” as well as “dialogue, engagement and listening to the people’s demands.”

NOW: Massive protest in Tehran, Iran. pic.twitter.com/qudbHcIkVA

— Clash Report (@clashreport) January 8, 2026

People are watching President Trump’s reactions very closely, especially coming off his giving the order for military forces to go into Venezuela to oust Maduro. He has reiterated that the United States will strike “very hard” if Iran starts killing protesters.

However, he has also lately seemed to suggest that violence or deaths during “crowd control” can be ambiguous and hard to assess. This perhaps gives him an ‘out’ at a moment the US hawks are circling, and members of his own cabinet might be pressuring toward action.

But a fresh statement from Vice President J.D. Vance has just injected something new and raised the stakes in a significant way. He’s calling for the Iranians to enter fresh negotiations with Washington, or as he put it in fresh remarks to “actually have a real negotiation” over its nuclear program (which was set-back in a big way by the last June US bombing raid on three key nuclear development sites).

🇺🇸🇮🇷U.S. Vice President Vance on the current protests in Iran:

“Obviously, the Iranian regime has a lot of problems. And as the president The States has said, the smartest thing for them to have done, it was true two months ago, it’s true today, is for them to actually have a… pic.twitter.com/CZ0ILPq6eb

— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) January 8, 2026

Tehran has every reason to not trust Washington at this point, for all the obvious reasons and fact that it was just bombed last summer at the very moment after it entered new dialogue with the US.

Iran’s leadership is increasingly pointing to the violence being unleashed on security forces and police by at least some of the protesters and rioters. Also, the scenario of Mossad or CIA operatives who might be exacerbating the situation remains a real and plausible threat. At the same time, there has appeared evidence purporting to show violent surprise attacks on police or security officials…

1/4 An Afghan national killed Lt. Col. Mahmoud Haqiqat, the police chief of Iranshahr, in a brazen, targeted attack in Iran’s southeastern Sistan–Baluchestan province. pic.twitter.com/dSMkllY9Ot

— South Asia Times (@_southasiatimes) January 8, 2026

Various external monitors have said the protests have now spread to over 100 cities and towns spanning all 31 of Iran’s provinces. At least 2,200 demonstrators have been detained, according to reports.

BBC Persian meanwhile says that it has independently verified the names and deaths of 21 individuals, while Iranian officials have announced that five security personnel have been killed. This suggests that at least in some locales, anti-government groups could become armed. There are some external powers – like Israel – that would probably applaud such internal fracturing, which would only serve to further weaken the Islamic Republic.

Authored by Dorothy Li via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Texas has warned residents not to plant what it calls “mysterious seeds” that arrived in unsolicited packages from China, as authorities investigate thousands of such reports across the state.

State authorities first became aware of this issue in February last year, when a resident in Clute reported that a package from an unknown sender in China contained “unidentified seeds and a liquid container,” according to the Texas Department of Agriculture.

Since then, officials have collected 1,101 packs of unsolicited seeds delivered to 109 locations across the state, the agency said in a Jan. 5 statement. The most recent packet was collected on Dec. 29.

“At a glance, this might seem like a small problem, but this is serious business,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in the statement.

“The possible introduction of an invasive species to the state via these seeds poses real risks to Texas families and the agriculture industry.”

The issue was not limited to Texas. Officials in Ohio, New Mexico, and Alabama issued similar advisories last year after families reported receiving unsolicited packages of unknown seeds at their doorsteps.

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, in a March statement, said that the seeds sent to Alabamians were identified as tomato and onion varieties. While no harmful compounds were detected in them, state officials cautioned that such practices could still be illegal or violate regulations without proper authorization.

“We urge all residents to be on the lookout for similar packages,” Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate said in the statement. “These seeds may be invasive to Alabama plants or be harmful to livestock.”

This wasn’t the first time U.S. households received packages of unidentified seeds they hadn’t ordered. In 2020, officials from all 50 states issued warnings about such unsolicited seeds. Many of these packages were processed by China Post, the Chinese communist regime’s official postal service.

At the time, U.S. state officials warned residents that seeds arriving by mail could introduce invasive species into local ecosystems, while some Americans expressed concern that they could carry diseases amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Individuals in European Union member states, the UK, Canada, and some in the Indo-Pacific, including Australia and Taiwan, also reported receiving similar unsolicited packets of seeds at the time, many of them from China.

An investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture determined that these seeds were likely part of a global “brushing scam.” By sending unsolicited, low-value items to residential addresses, sellers could post false-positive reviews under the name of a “verified” owner, thereby boosting sales, according to investigators.

As new reports continued to emerge, officials in Texas said they’re collaborating with the federal authorities to collect, test, and dispose of these seed packs safely.

Residents who received unsolicited packages are urged to contact their local agriculture departments immediately and are advised not to open the package, plant the unidentified seeds, or discard them in regular trash.

“Whether it’s part of an ongoing scam or something more sinister, we are determined to protect Texans,” Miller said in the Jan. 5 statement.

“Unsolicited seeds coming into our country are a risk to American agriculture, our environment, and public safety. Texas isn’t going to take chances when it comes to protecting our people and our food supply.”

A Harvard University dean has been removed after a student-run news outlet, the Yard Report, dug up old social media posts slamming whiteness, the cops, and advocating for looting and rioting. 

Gregory Davis, the former Dunster House Allston Burr resident dean, wrote the posts in question between 2019 and 2024 – mostly on X. He became dean of the dormitory in 2024.

“It’s almost like Whiteness is a self-destructive ideology that annihilates everyone around it. By design,” he said in 2019.

Meanwhile in 2020 amid the George Floyd riots, Davis slammed the police, posting “You should ask your cop friends to resign since they’re racist and evil,” he said on X. 

Davis then defended the ‘mostly peaceful’ riots that ensued, writing “Something to keep in mind: rioting and looting are parts of democracy just like voting and marching,” adding “The people WILL be heard.”

And when President Trump got COVID, Davis wrote “If he dies, he dies.”

When confronted about the posts, Davis wrote to Dunster House residents – saying: 

“Recently, some media organizations have inquired regarding comments that I made on my personal social media accounts prior to my start in the Resident Dean role,” adding “These posts do not reflect my current thinking or beliefs. I deeply appreciate the responsibility inherent in the Resident Dean role and I value the trust that individuals have placed in me. I regret if my statements have any negative impact on the Dunster community.”

“Since becoming the Allston Burr Resident Dean, I have worked hard to ensure that Dunster House is a welcoming, warm and supportive space for all of its member,” the message continued. “That continues to be the guiding force of my work today. As events outside of Harvard have affected our House and me personally, my commitment to each of you, our students, has not wavered. In my role, I have enjoyed the opportunity to work collaboratively with members of HUPD and other colleagues across campus. I respect the work they do to support our community.”

How are we feeling about this? Discuss… 

Authored by Evgenia Filimianova via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Lebanese armed forces said on Jan. 8 that their plan to restrict weapons to official security agencies had entered an “advanced stage,” after expanding their presence across southern Lebanon.

The army said that it has secured vital areas and extended control over territories under its authority in the South Litani sector, excluding areas that remain under Israeli occupation.

The announcement follows the Lebanese government’s August 2025 decision to authorize the army to prepare a plan to limit all weapons in the country to six recognized security agencies by the end of 2025. That decision came after a visit by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who pressed Lebanese officials to consolidate state authority over all armed entities.

Military activity between Israel and Lebanon has persisted despite a cease-fire agreement reached in 2024 and mediated by the United States and France.

Under that agreement, Lebanon committed to expanding its army’s control over southern areas and restricting the operations of the terrorist group Hezbollah near the border with Israel.

Israel continues to hold positions in southern Lebanon and has carried out repeated airstrikes that it says are aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rearming and planning new attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Jan. 8 that the U.S.-brokered cease-fire agreement “states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed.”

The statement added that this was “imperative for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future.”

While welcoming Lebanese efforts, Netanyahu’s office described them as “an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient,” citing what it described as Hezbollah’s attempts to rebuild its “terror infrastructure with Iranian support.”

Lebanese Leadership Backs Army

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who met Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Jan. 8 just before convening a Cabinet session at Baabda Palace in Beirut, publicly endorsed the army’s statement.

“I also emphasize that the deployment of the Lebanese armed forces south of the Litani River falls under a comprehensive national decision grounded in the Constitution, state resolutions, and relevant international commitments,” Aoun said in a statement issued by the presidency on Jan. 8.

He said the move was aimed at “consolidating the exclusivity of arms in the hands of the state.”

Aoun, Salam, and Lebanese army commander General Joseph Haykal met with U.N. Undersecretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Jan. 7.

The talks focused on the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon’s (UNIFIL’s) support for Lebanese authorities in sustaining the cessation of hostilities and advancing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which bars armed groups from operating near the border with Israel.

The Lebanese army said on Jan. 8 that it continues to coordinate closely with UNIFIL and the U.S.-backed cease-fire monitoring mechanism. It thanked the U.S. and French teams involved in monitoring the truce, as well as the countries contributing troops to the mission.

Ongoing Operations and Israeli Strikes

Operations in the South Litani sector remain ongoing until unexploded ordnance and tunnels are cleared, the Lebanese army also said in its statement. These steps, it added, were necessary to consolidate control and prevent armed groups from rebuilding their capabilities.

Lebanese armed forces condemned continued Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory, saying they negatively impact their ability to complete the restoration of control over southern areas.

Israel carried out airstrikes on multiple targets in Lebanon on Jan. 5 that it said were linked to Hezbollah and Hamas, according to the Israeli military.

On Jan. 6, the Israel Defense Forces said it struck weapons storage facilities and military structures used by Hezbollah in attacks against Israeli troops and territory. The military also said it hit Hamas weapons production sites in southern Lebanon that it described as critical to the group’s military buildup.

Aoun condemned the strikes on Jan. 6, saying they had hit towns in the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon, reaching as far north as Sidon.

Authored by Ross Pomeroy via RealClearScience,

Dr. Benjamin Spock is remembered as one of the foremost authorities on raising children. His influential and prolific books, first published in the mid-1940s, advised parents to be more affectionate and flexible with their young kids, countering what was then the entrenched norm of being rigid and aloof.

Though most parents today are probably more familiar with a different, pointy-eared Spock, in his heyday during the 1950s and 60s, Dr. Spock was one of the most recognizable and respected public figures in the world. When he spoke or wrote, people – and particularly parents – listened intently.

Unfortunately, much of Spock’s guidance wasn’t grounded in scientific research, but rather his extensive clinical experience. While this generally produced helpful, or at least harmless, advice, in one major instance, it resulted in grave harm. 

Starting with the 1958 edition of his bestselling tome, The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, Spock recommended to parents that they put their babies to sleep on their front, rather than on their backs. “If he vomits, he’s more likely to choke on the vomitus,” Spock reasoned. “Also, he tends to keep his head turned to the same side—usually toward the centre of the room. This may flatten the side of his head.”

At the time, there was an active debate about whether front-sleeping or back-sleeping was healthier for infants, so Spock’s recommendation – which we now know to be dead wrong – could be excused. However, in the dozen years since Spock urged prone-sleeping, scientific studies made clear that the practice markedly raised the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) compared to back sleeping. A 2005 historical analysis conducted by researchers with the Centre for Evidence-based Child Health in London showed that by 1970, the scientific literature indicated that front-sleeping tripled the risk of SIDS compared to back-sleeping.

Spock, however, neglected to consult this gathered scientific evidence and didn’t update his book Baby and Child Care to reflect the new reality for some time. As Marit L. Bovbjerg, an Associate Professor at Oregon State University focusing on maternity care in the U.S., wrote in 2011:

“Dr. Spock’s book was not the only popular book to advocate prone sleeping at the time, but further revisions continued to make the recommendation nine years after solid epidemiological evidence had accumulated regarding the increased risk of SIDS for babies being placed on their stomachs for sleep.”

Spock’s book was by far and away the most read parenting guide to advocate prone sleeping. According to the New York Times, for a half-century since its publication, Baby and Child Care was the second-best-selling book, behind only the Bible.

The researchers behind the aforementioned 2005 scientific review estimated that the collective failure, led by Dr. Spock, to alter the advice on safe-sleep for infants in a timely fashion, resulted in an extra 10,000 infant deaths in the UK and at least 50,000 in Europe, the USA, and Australasia after 1970.

With great influence comes great responsibility. In failing to change his mind on infant safe-sleep in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence, Dr. Spock showed that he was not worthy of the standing he garnered and the trust he earned from the world’s parents.

Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Jan. 6 that it is suing Arizona and Connecticut for allegedly failing to turn over their full voter registration rolls for federal inspection.

The two new federal lawsuits, which say the two states are hindering federal oversight that is intended to stop election fraud and ensure voter lists accuracy, bring the department’s nationwide total to 23 states plus the District of Columbia.

Before the most recent lawsuits were filed, the DOJ on Dec. 18, 2025, filed lawsuits against Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, alleging they failed to produce voter registration lists upon request. Earlier the same month, the DOJ filed similar lawsuits against Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington state, also for allegedly not producing the lists upon request.

U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said on Jan. 6 that the DOJ will continue to file lawsuits “to protect American elections.”

“Accurate voter rolls are the foundation of election integrity, and any state that fails to meet this basic obligation of transparency can expect to see us in court,” Bondi said in a statement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division added the department “is committed to safeguarding fair and free elections, and will hold states accountable when they refuse to respect our federal elections laws.”

The lawsuits state that the U.S. attorney general is responsible for enforcing the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act, which Congress passed to make sure states have effective voter registration and voter list maintenance programs. The U.S. attorney general also enforces the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which allows her to demand that states produce statewide voter registration lists.

The Arizona lawsuit states that Bondi asked Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes in July 2025 to produce a copy of his state’s voter registration list within 14 days.

Fontes responded, saying he could not comply with the 14-day deadline, and Bondi gave him an extension to September 2025. Two weeks before the new deadline, Fontes informed Bondi that he could not comply because doing so would violate state and federal privacy laws, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges Fontes’s refusal to produce the requested records violates the information-production provisions of the Civil Rights Act. The lawsuit asks the court to order Fontes to produce the records.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes told The Epoch Times that “Arizonans’ private voter registration information is not up for grabs.”

“Both state and federal law prohibit the unrestricted release of Arizona’s complete voter registration database to the DOJ,” she said. “My office will continue to work with the Secretary of State to defend the private data of Arizona voters and safeguard our independent election systems.”

Fontes said in a statement on Dec. 19, 2025, that he declined to hand over the voter rolls to the DOJ out of voter privacy concerns.

“Arizona voters also have important privacy rights that cannot be infringed because they choose to exercise their constitutionally protected voting rights,” he said.

The Connecticut lawsuit states that in August 2025 Bondi asked Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas to produce the state’s voter registration list. Thomas handed over some of the requested data and said more data would follow, but she did not send more information.

Bondi sent a letter in December 2025 demanding the list. Later that month, Thomas responded, saying that she could not comply because Connecticut law forbids her from releasing the information sought.

The lawsuit says that Thomas’s failure to hand over the list violates the information-production provisions of the Civil Rights Act, and asks the court to compel Thomas to do so.

Thomas said she was not surprised that Connecticut has been “added to the long list of states being sued on these grounds.”

She told The Epoch Times that as secretary of state, her “foremost responsibility” is to Connecticut voters “who entrust the state and their local election officials with sensitive data so they can participate in our representative democracy without fear that their information will be misused or exposed.”

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said that Connecticut obeys federal laws and that he was disappointed that his state is being sued.

“We tried to work cooperatively with DOJ to understand the basis for their request for our voters’ sensitive personal information. Rather than communicating productively with us, they rushed to sue,” Tong told The Epoch Times.

Going all the back to November 7, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi first provoked outrage in China by suggesting that Japanese Defense Forces could militarily defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, there’s been a steady spiraling in relations between Tokyo and Beijing. First, China’s punitive measures took place merely on the tourism, culture, and diplomatic fronts – also with some limited economic measures such as halting its exports of seafood from Japan. 

New action was also unveiled at not more than a weekly pace, or even monthly – but now after it’s been several months with no retraction and formal apology by Takaichi (demanded by Beijing), the screws are tightening on a daily basis. After this week barring Japan from dual use items (anything with military-civilian application), China has begun depriving Japan of rare earth minerals and rare earth magnets – which could have immediate impact on Japanese companies involved in components for global chip makers, and also hitting the defense and auto sectors. It will be felt by Japanese companies involved in advanced electronics, aviation components, drones and nuclear-related tech.

This sends a resoundingly clear signal to the US as well, after Beijing already moved to cut off rare-earth exports to American companies last year – and Trump blinked first by backing off his trade war with China, and now Beijing is ready and willing to apply the same leverage to close US regional ally Japan.

Referencing Tuesday’s move to ban exports to Japan of dual-use goods, The Wall Street Journal is confirming Thursday:

Then, in the days since, China began restricting exports to Japanese companies of scarce and expensive “heavy” rare earths, as well as the powerful magnets containing them, according to two exporters in China.

Another person familiar with Chinese government decisions said the review of applications for export licenses to Japan has been halted. The licensing restrictions extend across Japanese industry, the people said, and don’t only target Japanese defense companies. 

Japan is the world’s second-largest producer of rare-earth magnets after China, but is hugely dependent on Chinese raw materials for their manufacture. According to 2024 data, Japan relied on China for 63% of its rare earth imports.

For well over a decade Japan has struggled reduce its dependence on China, following significant supply disruptions related to clashing with China over contested islands – maritime and fishing disputes which are still ongoing. While at the time Beijing denied it was singling out Japan, this latest spiral in ties and punitive measures have been made much clearer. Beijing is now overt about these muscular trade measures as being due to Takaichi’s “erroneous” comments which constitutes a “crude interference in China’s internal affairs”.

What’s bad for Tokyo has been perhaps an immediate or short-term benefit for American companies, ironically enough, as WSJ observes:

Since then, some American companies say they have had an easier time getting licenses. Rare-earth magnet exports to Japan had also returned to normal levels even before the October deal between the U.S. and China, according to Chinese trade data.

If maintained, Chinese restrictions on rare earths could cause the equivalent of about $17 billion in economic losses over the course of the year, according to Nomura Research Institute.

The publication further cites rare-earths analyst David S. Abraham, who described that industrial disruptions in Japan would be felt across global supply chains. “That will filter down,” he assured.

China has announced new export restrictions targeting Japan—
including a ban on rare earth exports.

In response, Minister Onoda stated:

“We are developing rare-earth technologies,
magnets that do not rely on rare earths,
and heat-resistant superalloys that use fewer rare… pic.twitter.com/jUXp2xg6Jy

— Rutaso.Japan🇯🇵🐶 (@rutasosabu) January 7, 2026

Masaaki Kanai, secretary general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, has “strongly protested and demanded the withdrawal of these measures.” And Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said, “A measure such as this, targeting only our country, differs significantly from international practice, is absolutely unacceptable and deeply regrettable” – among other condemnations out of Tokyo.