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We have the news. We have the emojis. We need posters. Posters like Lieutenant XHS, Sargent Marmite, and Commissar 72T. DM me to feature effort posts and good threads in the newsmega/newscomm here (including your own).

Sgt. @MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net on the US military assets needed to execute different types of strikes on Iran. This builds off of their earlier post last week.

@CarmineCatboy2@hexbear.net in a subthread on the state of things in eastern Syria with the SDF and SAA

Previous posts of the week:

2025: Oct 27 | Nov 3 | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 29

2026: Jan 5

The US is not in a good way right now and it's very hard to imagine any kind of return to the conditions of a year ago. Trump is fucking wildin out, and the people are responding in a way we haven't seen since the George Floyd Rebellion of 2020. The internationalism you mentioned is in large part, I'm proud to say, a result of being the leading organizing force in most of these protests. The outage and unrest are only accelerating and a communist vanguard party is well positioned to push that movement far beyond where it's been so far.

I posted a lot last year about efforts for the Party to connect with the 50501/NoKings protest. Those were able to mobilize enormous numbers of people, but only in the form of very neat and gentle weekend marches. Now, that relationship has grown much stronger - one of 50501's national leaders was on a recent People's Forum webinar in response to the attack on Venezuela and she spoke firmly about the interconnectedness of national and international struggle. They are now committed to a joint day of action with the Party on January 20th. This is a mass school and work walkout - a significant escalation from getting together on a Saturday afternoon and a key stepping stone to the long term goal of a general strike. To get to the big GS, we need the masses to develop to resilience and dedication through practice.

A lot of that practice is already playing out in the sharp rise of protest frequency the last two weeks. People are ready to show up not just once every month or two but once or twice a week. And they are receiving the Party's political and organizational leadership because of the skill and dedication of our cadre.

This wicked system will not last.

Sheinbaum and Trump just talked and

U.S. allows Mexico to provide oil to Cuba despite Trump's vow to cut off supply

Thank god, hopefully Cuba can weather through this

Trump curses and flips the middle finger to an employee who allegedly called him a 'pedophile protector' during a factory visit. The republican visited Ford facilities this Tuesday (13), in Detroit, USA. His government has been facing criticism for the way it is handling the case of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.

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The sensitive personal information of ~4,500 ICE employees has allegedly been leaked by a DHS whistleblower according to The Daily Beast. Oops.

Actual site with the list appears to be getting DDOS'd right now.

Something something China social credit score something authoritarianism.

Palantir is working on a tool for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that populates a map with potential deportation targets, brings up a dossier on each person, and provides a “confidence score” on the person’s current address.

https://www.404media.co/elite-the-palantir-app-ice-uses-to-find-neighborhoods-to-raid/

The Judge in the Maduro Case Is 92.

Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein was seen drifting in and out of sleep in court last year. 

Tone shift in Berlin: Merz calls Russia “European” and signals interest in rebalancing EU-Russia relations.

I guess the war isn't going that great. I see literally no other reason for a German tone shift.

It's only been 2 weeks into 2026 lol

Hegseth Announces Grok Access to Classified Pentagon Networks

Not the onion, I repeat…not the onion lmao

Situation in MN is a powder keg where ICE is shoving more and more powder in and everyone is sitting around with lit matches. I'm genuinely surprised it hasn't blown yet. Check the state subreddit if you want they are one of the better sources for this. r/Minnesota

ICE and other Border Control departments such as BORTAC, are now openly doing warrantless raids in minority neighborhoods and going to retail businesses such as target and Walmart to kidnap people. School is out in areas where ICE is active as a response to them busting into schools, walkouts in solidarity in other parts of the state.

They are also kidnapping kids and parents with young children on the street. One of the videos posted is of ICE grabbing a 17 year old target employee and beating him and dumping him at a Walmart.

The state has taken a hands off approach to the situation and seems to be content to sit by and observe, including simply observing protests, ICE seems to be the ones crushing protests. The only response from the state seems to be the AG filing a lawsuit (lol), this is not lost on the average person, they are noticing the inaction.

Bovino ( the guy in charge of these ICE raids) is just openly strutting about completely unafraid to show his face everywhere he goes. And why not? The administration has shown they will back ICE no matter what, and Dems have shown themselves to be toothless. Him doing this is also a message to the rank and file brownshirts that they have nothing to fear.

The average person I see at these protests is fucking pissed. We have random vote blue no matter who types giving interviews where they are openly talking about needing guns to square off with ICE, and former "apolitical" cop bootlicker types are saying they would support someone taking an ICE squad out.

ICE is so outnumbered in some of these cases that they might just get stampeded by an angry mob. One of the videos I've seen , if ICE hadn't retreated when they did they would have faced mob justice. I don't see any situation where something doesn't give in the next day or two, max by the weekend.

MoA on the latest failed color coup attempt that targeted Iran:

Today pro-government marches are held in all major cities of Iran. They are much bigger than anything the opposition could ever assemble. The Iranian system has again demonstrated that it is astonishingly stable. Not one official has changed side.

The total blocking of Internet traffic and international phone communication in Iran was the decisive step taken to end the riots.

Without Internet access the CIA/Mossad agents directing the rioters were unable to command and control their on-the-ground forces. The lack of ‘horror’ propaganda videos from Iran, submitted via the Internet and used by the media to rake up support for western intervention, is also important. Color-revolutions à la CIA require these tools.

Trump, who had threatened to bomb Iran in support of the rioters, will have to pull back. The U.S. military says that it is not ready (archived) for the revenge Iran would unleash on it.

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2026/01/regime-change-riots-in-iran-fail-faster-than-expected.html

Protesters in Minneapolis found a hotel ICE is staying at, a few hundred people are in the courtyard up to the doors, and the cops are inside getting squared up and ready to bust heads. They have these big-ass clubs. The protest would fizzle out, but no, the local police department seems like they want to get in on the action while ICE is nowhere to be seen

The Status Coup video from their live recording post-shooting tonight went private. Possibly because they were showing papers taken from an ICE vehicle with agents' names, phone numbers, e-mails, and operating instructions. I was actually in the middle of transcribing the info when the video just disappeared.

Here's what I got, up to the start of page 4 (I tried, but spoilers aren't working with code/pre-formatted text in them). (EDIT: Completed as best I could from archives linked in replies.)

                             Operational Info

FBI Minneapoolis: 1501 Freeway Blvd, Brooklyn Center, MN 56430

    Phone: 763-569-8000 Option 2

Command Post/CP Phone 763-569-6005

    Radio CH: Metro 8

    Radio callsign: 920 (Ops Center)

    Radio Office Call Signs: SEE ATTACHMENT

Shooting Case info:

    CA SA Alyssa Leary - 612 286-4431 - 898 MP 4181025

    SA Chuck Burnham - 612-214-3089 - 282A-MP-4181782

Contact Information:

| SSA Patrick M. Rielly - FBI | 612-290-2012 | pmrielly@fbi.gov             |
| ASAC Tom Wilburg - FBI      | 612-388-0003 | tewilburg@fbi.gov            |
| ASAC Tonya Price - HSI      | 612-290-7193 | Tonya.m.price@hsi.dhs.gov    |
| SSA Alex Draeger - HSI      | 830-309-2132 | Alex.s.draeger@hsi.dhs.gov   |
| Sup Mick Kinney - CBP       | 612-282-5639 | Michael.d.kinney@cbp.dhs.gov |
| SA Mark Fredkove - FBI/ERT  | 612-759-3559 | mrfredkove@fbi.gov           |

[In handwriting at bottom of page:]

ops - 763-569-8050 #2 - CG

    Bernardo - 612-417-9052
    Med

Operational Posture: Weapons, Vests with FBI Placards, less than lethal, Radio on Metro &
ATAK on, and vehicle fueled at all times. Notify the Command Post (CP) via radio of actions
on and off.

Alternatively, notify Ops Center (Radio callsign 920) if no confirmation/contact has been
made.

Any Duress:

    1. Emergency call 911, when save to do so contact ops cener or SSA Rielly
    2. Non-Emergency call SSA Patrick Rielly 612-290-2012 or the CP 763-569-6003


Whipple Building: **1 Federal drive, Ft Snelling, MN 55111, Room 1201.**

**POC for Whipple:**

| ASAC Tonya Price - HSI | 612-290-7193 | Tonya.m.price@hsi.dhs.gov  |
| SSA Alex Draeger - HSI | 830-309-2132 | Alex.s.draeger@hsi.dhs.gov |

Transport of Immigration Targets

[p2 map]

    1. Make sure you have you PIV card and access has been granted. If you don't you will
       need to go through the guard shack entrance.
    2. Once you cross over the light rail tracks you will take the immediate left into the 1st
       south entrance. (See Black line)
    3. You will approach an access point where you will need to scan your PIV card. Gate
       should open. (See Blak Arrow)
    4. Drive to the most northwestern lot and drive between the buildings. You will see
       garage entrances on both sides. (See black lineA
    5. The garage building on the left will be the building the sally port is located in. (See
       red circle)
    6. Last garage door on the left will be the sally port. (See black line inside red circle.).

There will be another access point at that door. Scan your PIV card to get access or Once
outside the sally port, agents can call the ERO command post (612-843-6701/612-843-
8708) to gain access to the sally port. Hours 0800 to 1500.

**IF YOU DO NOT HAVE CARD ACCESS ENTER at BLUE ARROW** <-

US Attorney intake:

    AUSA Thomas Calhoun-Lopez - 612-388-2181

        thomas.calhoun-lopez@usdoj.gov

    AUSA Melinda Williams - 612-386-0561

        melinda.williams@usdoj.gov

[p3 map]

Sherburne County Detention Center, 13880 Business Center Drive NW, Elk River, MN 55330

Call intake [...] notify of transport and email any [illegible]

intake 763-765-3807
       763-765-3841

[illegible] intake info: SEE ATTACHMENT

Information for FD-956 - Request for National DNA Database Entry

    1. Federal Bureau of Investigation
       1501 Freeway Blvd. Brooklyn Center, MN 55430
       763-569-8000
       POC: Special Agent __________________

    2. ORI: MNFBIMP00
       Agency Code: FBI

    3. Subject Information:
        a. Last Name:
        b. First Name:
        c. FBI #:
        d. DOB:
        e. Gender:
        f. Race:
        g. SSN:
        h: Alien #:

    4. Sample Collection Information:
       Last name, first name, signature, date

**Notes**:

    1. Send USMS Booking Form and arrest warrant (or charging document) to
       Court.mail2@usdoj.gov, subject line "CELLBLOCK NEW ARREST," and speak with
       USMS prior to arresting and transporting anyone at 612-664-5951 (Minneapolis) or 651-
       848-1460 (St. Paul);
    2. Contact Sterburne Booking at 763-765-3841 and send any required paperwork to
       bookers@co.shrburne.mn.us prior to dropping off or picking up detainees, call the USMS
       at the numbers above one hour prior to arrival;
    3. Lunch required for non-USMS prisoners (i.e. anyone not already in federal custody).
    4. Consider whether you need to reach out to chambers to schedule an initial appearance at
       MND Duty, Chambers@mnd.uscourts.gov or by phone at 651-848-1121.
    5. Detainees are generally accepted at USMS from 8:45 AM to 11:00 AM

USMS Booking Information Form

    1. Biographical Information:
        a. Last Name:
        b. First Name:
        c. DOB:
        d. Subject Address:
        e. Language:
        f. Country of Birth:
        g. State:
        h. Mother's Country of Birth:
        i. Father's Country of Birth:
        j: Race:
        k: Weight:
        l: Sex:
        m: Hair Color:
        n: Eye Color:
        o: Height:
        p: FBI Number:
        q: USMS Number:
        r: FID
        s: Alien Number:
        t: SSN:

    2. Case Information:
        a. Court name/warrant number:
        b. Arresting Agent name:
        c. Arrest Location:
        d. Arresting Agent Email/phone:
        e. Agency ORI: MNFBIMP00

    3. Subject Information:
        a. Medical conditions:
        b. Mental condition:
        c. Arrest information:
        d. Drug usage:
        e. Gang affiliation:

    4. Arrest Information:
        a. Date:
        b. Housing:
        c. Property:
        d. NCIC Offense Code:

**Baymont**

[According to audio:]

"This is a hotel booking sheet.  The officer whose car we raided was John
Steimle.  This is hotel in Wisconsin that they're loading ICE agents up into
before they send them into Minneapolis.  It's got his name, the hotel, the
address, room number.  They Baymont by Wyndham Baldwin.  Baymont is supporting
ICE agents.  This is all taken out of an ICE officer's vehicle that got left
behind and got raided."

Let's manifest some "total destruction of the US empire" kinda news this week folks

Palestine Action hunger strikers end their hunger strike after the UK canceled a £2 billion elbit contract

https://xcancel.com/DeItaone/status/2011155995821818045

TRUMP: TO BE ANTI-TARIFF IS TO BE PRO-CHINESE

Venezuela received a second shipment of donated medical supplies from Brazil overnight. “This donation is intended to support the Hemodialysis and Nephrology program, whose warehouse, where medical supplies for the health program in the country were stored, was bombed by the United States government on January 3rd. As a result of this bombing, all the technology and equipment were lost. Today, these 30 tons arriving in Venezuela are part of a donation totalling 300 tons that is progressively arriving in the country to replenish inventories and guarantee the supply of materials, reagents, equipment, and catheters”

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Please send vibes/prayers/whatever’s best to my lil old kitty cat. She’s spending a couple days at the hospital for kidney disease treatment. From diagnosis to now went way too quick, and we couldn’t stand the alternative to treatment and palliative care. Hoping to get an opportunity to spoil her once more - for whatever amount of time.

https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mcimovmy3h2g

Rep. Andy Harris: "Look, if Minnesota wants to secede from the union and have it on their own, that's fine"

Balkanization is back on the menu, lads.

This is from last month but I somehow missed it. Still very much worth noting:

IMF Shanghai center begins operation; new hub signifies China’s growing role in regional, global economy: expert Global Times

The IMF on Monday officially launched the operations of its center in Shanghai. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, People's Bank of China (PBC) Governor Pan Gongsheng, and Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng attended the opening ceremony, the PBC said in a statement on Monday. The move signifies China's growing role in both regional and global economic governance, Chinese experts noted.

Pan said that the operations of the IMF Shanghai centers fully demonstrates China's firm stance on advocating win-win cooperation with the IMF, and is of great significance for deepening cooperation between the IMF and China, promoting macroeconomic policy exchanges and coordination among countries in the Asia-Pacific region, maintaining global and regional financial stability, and improving global financial governance, according to the PBC statement.

The center will play an important role in enhancing the fund's engagement with the dynamic Asia and Pacific region. It will serve as a hub to promote research and knowledge sharing that can inform policies in areas of relevance for emerging market and middle-income countries. It also aims at deepening dialogue and outreach with member countries, regional institutions, and other stakeholders in the region, the IMF said in a press release.

"The IMF is grateful to the People's Republic of China for its financial contributions to the IMF Shanghai Center and its facility," read the press release.

…

The operation of the IMF Shanghai Center marks a strategic advance in the fund's Asia-Pacific role, providing a permanent regional platform to shape policy dialogue, drive research, and affirm its status as a global financial anchor, Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

For Asia-Pacific economies, the center offers timely support for evidence-based policy formation through complex transitions, while fostering trade and stability cooperation to strengthen regional resilience, Wang said.

I take back everything I said about China having any slight chance of abandoning neoliberalism.

This is further integration of IMF with the PBOC. What’s the worst that can happen, you ask? Look at Russia’s central bank. I already raised my suspicion a couple years ago that the libs already made a comeback after the 20th CPC Congress and it’s looking more and more likely that my instinct was right back then.

Do not be surprised if you see a new type of “internationalized offshore RMB” that some will say is “China’s de-dollarization”, when the currency is probably designed and guided by the IMF itself.

I decided to check out what Chinese netizens were saying about Mark Carney being in Beijing, and the comments were a mix of:

"Canada's last Prime Minister "

"Welcome the Governor of Canada to China"

The Canadian Province of America jokes.

"A chameleon like Macron"

"It's too Iate for him"

https://xcancel.com/ME_Observer_/status/2011428703704867049#m

I think when we see Israel admitting to arming the riots, that they are trying to play to their own domestic politics.

Look at what we are able to do in other countries, this means we are in control.

It's kind of like a sociopath killing people - excerting control over others - to distract themselves from how out of control they feel about their own lives.

I think we are seeing Israeli society has fully believed every conspiracy about themselves - even the ones that they secretly control the world. The hubris and arrogance will lead them to very poor decisions.

Edit: yes I believe them when they say that stuff. I just mean they are very confident to be admitting to the sabotage. For years the narrative has been to describe Israeli sabotage as antisemitic nonsense conspiracy theory to cover up stinky brown Iranian incompetence.

The USDOJ is arguing Maduro had to be kidnapped because "[...] illegal mining has led to the displacement of indigenous communities and exacerbated issues involving child labor [...]".

Lindsey Graham breaks down crying over lack of war with Iran:

https://yewtu.be/watch?v=r7HvZM5ciNw

Alternative: https://invidious.nerdvpn.de/watch?v=r7HvZM5ciNw

UKIP has a new logo, the previous party that Nigel Farage founded and then later left post-Brexit in order to start Reform

It is straight up just the iron cross.

Haha fuck....

https://x.com/NewsWire_US/status/2012731216382820641

Iranian airspace is back open, the first few flights into and over Iran from foreign airlines are trickling in.

Looks like tonight was a big, co-ordinated psyche out/information and probing operation by the United States, with aircraft over Iraq, evacuating military bases of non essential equipment and personnel (which was also apparently paused at some point), contradictory statements from Trump himself, US government officials and "insider sources", reports of the US beginning to move the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the Middle East, etc. It's clear that the US knows exactly what the public can see online, and has a good indication of what other nations can see. With Iran having very few pre attack indicators, they closed their airspace out of an abundance of caution once those few indicators (evacuation of US bases and aircraft over Iraq) showed up. Strategic ambiguity at all times is the Trump strategy.

The question now is, what happens next? Does Iran continue to close it's airspace at the first sign of an impending US attack? Is Iran closing it's airspace potentially also probing by Iran, to see how the US would react (Iran could do this just before launching ballistic missiles). Will the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group actually arrive in the next week or two? If so, does the US strike before it arrives, as it arrives, or do they even strike at all?

Iran has summoned the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, and several other countries to watch videos of armed Iranian "protesters" killing innocent people and setting fire to public buildings and homes The Iranian government's objective is to demonstrate to the international community that these protests are being led by extremist groups, who are causing chaos and destruction after appropriating peaceful demonstrations with legitimate demands that took place at the end of 2025.

President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel: "There are no talks with the US government, except for technical contacts in the area of ​​migration. We have always been willing to engage in serious and responsible dialogue with the various US governments, including the current one, on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect, principles of international law, and mutual benefit without interference in internal affairs and with full respect for our independence.

The origin and extreme tightening of the blockade are unrelated to Cubans residing in the U.S., who were driven there by that failed policy and by the privileges of the Cuban Adjustment Act. They are now victims of changing policies toward migrants and the betrayal of Miami politicians. There are bilateral migration agreements in force that Cuba scrupulously adheres to. As history demonstrates, for U.S.-Cuba relations to progress, they must be based on international law rather than hostility, threats, and economic coercion.

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Venezuela's opposition leader María Corina Machado says she has presented her Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump.

She did not say whether Mr Trump accepted it.

The pair met in Washington on Thursday, local time, for lunch before Ms Machado left to meet senators at the Capitol.

As she left that second meeting, she was swarmed by media and said she had presented Mr Trump with the esteemed medal in "recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom".

Ms Machado then referenced the 200-year-old gifting of a medal by the Marquis de Lafayette, a general who fought against the British in America's Revolutionary War, to South American revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar, to signify the pair's shared values.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-16/donald-trump-meets-marina-machado-venezuela-opposition/106235644

more slop than news tbh

Minneapolis is going on general strike in everything but terminology. PSL is leading the charge as far as I can tell but unions are in support.

A federal judge in Minnesota has apparently ruled (according to Status Coup, who still hasn't released the leaked ICE or FBI agent's info, BTW) that ICE has to be nice to ("restrict their tactics" against) people who are "being peaceful" and "aren't obstructing" and "aren't committing crimes" and shit.

So That'll definitely show 'em!

Greetings from Minneapolis, also fuck ICE.

EDIT: thanks for all the support. It's hit the airwaves on local TV: https://youtu.be/Inn-sfiMcyE

A report from a friend of my son's:

Good morning,

I am a US citizen from Minneapolis. Yesterday, while doing legal observation, ICE stopped their cars to harass my friend and me. They sprayed pepper spray into the vent of our vehicle. We held our hands in the air and told them we were not obstructing, that the car was in park and they were free to drive forward and away. There was no active immigration raid. They returned to their cars, and drove forward a bit, then decided to stop again. They surrounded us, smashed the windows of our car, opened the doors (they were unlocked), ripped my friend and I out of the car and arrested us on charges of obstruction.

I was put in an unmarked SUV, separated from my friend. As I was put in the back seat an ICE agent tore the whistle off my neck and said “I’ll be taking this, I might need it later.” My phone was knocked out of my hand while being arrested. As we drove away I asked the driver and the passenger if they wouldn’t mind buckling my seatbelt, as they were driving erratically. I was ignored. I asked them if I could have the handcuffs loosened, as I was losing circulation, and was told no. At one point the passenger realized his own driver's license was in the backseat next to mine, and tried to surreptitiously grab it without me seeing it.

We were taken to the Whipple federal building, where I saw dozens of brown people being processed in an unheated garage. I was frisked, told of my charges, and saw buses and vans being prepped. I later learned that these were being filled with detainees and driven to the airport for deportation. As we were led in, I noticed that the building was very busy. I got the impression that one of the 2 agents bringing me around was being trained. At multiple points throughout my stay, government agents were unable to open doors, not sure where they were meant to be going, and overall confused and overwhelmed. They couldn’t figure out how to use the building phones, or complained about a lack of cell service preventing them from checking the internet or making calls.

The people in the cells were extremely scared. We heard people screaming "let me out!", crying, wailing and terrified screams. There were cells with as many as 8 people. I have no way of knowing how long they have been there, if they were allowed any contact with the outside world, or if they were being brought food or water. Most people were staring at the ground with almost no energy. I was not allowed to talk to anyone imprisoned. I distinctly remember seeing a desperate woman. She was staring at the ground with her head in her hands crying, hopeless, while her friend or family member sat on a bathroom seat observed by 3 men.

My friend and I were put in an area for "USCs," which we eventually learned meant US citizens, separated by gender. We were imprisoned for 8 hours, during which my friend was never allowed a phone call. I was allowed to call my wife and tell her where I was. During my interview with Special Agent William and Special Agent Garcia, they asked me to empty my pockets. When I pulled out gloves, Agent William said those were meant to be taken when I was processed, and complained about having to fill out the form again. He frisked me once more, where he found glass in my pocket from when our car window was shattered. He filled out the form listing my personal items again, but put the wrong date. I was read my rights, I pleaded the fifth and was led back to my cell.

Food, water, and bathroom breaks were extremely difficult to acquire. I would ask over the intercom provided in the cell for a bathroom break, be told someone was on their way, then ask again 20 minutes later, be told someone was on their way, wait another 20 minutes, etc. Eventually they either turned off the intercom or it stopped working, because no one would respond. I could get water and bathroom breaks by pounding on the glass when someone happened to walk by and beg them directly. Hours would go by without anyone checking on us. I am vegan and the only food they offered were turkey sandwiches, fruit snacks with gelatin, and granola bars with honey. I eventually ate a granola bar out of hunger.

I was in the cell alone for between 1 and 2 hours, then another man was put into my cell, whose shirt was ripped open from his arrest, and an injured toe, who was carried aggressively into an unmarked car during his arrest. After about 4-5 hours, another man was brought in who had a cut on his head from his arrest. He told me he was tackled by 4 or 5 agents during his arrest. At no point was he offered medical assistance.

Later I was told that a lawyer was here to see me, and I was able to speak with him in a visitation room. The special agent told me that the door could not be closed all the way, so it was cracked during my interaction with my lawyer. I got the impression that they were not used to having lawyers present, and were trying to follow procedure as best they could. I asked an agent if the other detainees were allowed lawyers and was not answered.

At one point, 3 men from the department of Homeland Security Investigations brought me into a cell. They insinuated that they could help me out. After inquiring several times what exactly they meant they finally told me that they could offer undocumented family members of mine legal protection if I have any (I don’t), or money, in exchange for giving them the names of protest organizers, or undocumented persons. I was shocked, and told them no.

Finally, after hours of detention, I was told to follow an agent. At no point was I told whether or not I was being charged, or where I was going, but I was led out of the building. I asked if I could use a phone to call my wife to pick me up, and was told I could not. After pleading for several minutes eventually Special Agent William let me use his phone to call my wife. As I was escorted off the property by government agents, I was told to turn right. I was escorted to the protest area, where 5 minutes later, tear gas was deployed and I was struck by a paint ball gun. I was not protesting, I was simply being released without charges after an 8 hour detention. I was on the other side of the street, as instructed by the agents that released me and the agents shouting orders over a bullhorn. A passerby who was tear gassed was panicking and having an asthma attack, so I helped her find a medic to get her an inhaler. I used a stranger's phone to co-ordinate pickup, and was picked up by my wife.

During my detention I knew that I was being released. I knew that as a citizen of the United States I have legal protection. The hundred or so other people being detained had no such protection. At this time I don’t need your help, it is the families that are being separated, abused, terrorized, harassed and killed that need your help. If this is happening to me, an American citizen born in the United States, then what is happening to the people in here that have no one calling lawyers on their behalf? That have no constitutional rights to due process? What is happening to the people that they will never be released to see their families, go to their jobs, or walk through their city ever again?

Please take care of yourselves, your family, and your community. I am safe and healthy, if you feel compelled to help, please offer your help to the Immigrant Defense Network at https://immigrantdefensenetwork.org/. If you know someone detained by ICE, call or text CAIR-MN at 612-206-3360 for 24/7 legal intake.

Both the New York Times and Fox News are now reporting that we will see a large military build-up against Iran in the Middle East in the coming weeks, including a an aircraft carrier strike group (NYT states the USS Abraham Lincoln), air defence systems, fighter aircraft, strike aircraft, and mid air refueling aircraft. Similar to the previous build-up against Iran and the build-up against Venezuela.

If this does end up happening, if the US strikes, and if the US does not strike well before the build-up is complete, it would mean that the US has decided an only cruise missile strike with no overflights into Iranian airspace is insufficient, and that any planned operation requires flying into Iranian airspace with large scale offensive counter air operations (suppressing air defences, fighter escort and sweep, stand in attacks). Lots of "ifs".

The USS Abraham Lincoln air wing does operate a Marine squadron of F-35Cs and a Navy Squadron of EA-18Gs with NGJ pods (not all US aircraft carriers operate this), in fact the air wing of this particular aircraft carrier was the first to deploy the F-35 and EA-18G NGJ combination in combat, against Ansarallah/Houthuis in Yemen in 2024. It was also the first combat operation of both the F-35C variant and NGJ pods independently. These are what the US military uses to suppress and destroy advanced air defence systems, also referred to as double digit SA systems, based off of the NATO codenames for these systems (examples: S-300PS= SA-10, Buk M1 = SA-11, S-300V = SA-12, Buk M2 = SA-17, S-300PMU-1/2 = SA-20, S-400/S-300PMU-3 = SA-21, S-300V4/VM = SA-23, Buk M3 = SA-27). Iran does operate systems in this class, domestically made or from Russia.

For fighter escort and sweep, the US usually uses F-22 Raptors, and because they are the most expensive fighter aircraft for the US to operate, they only deploy right before US military action, a day or two before last year's Iranian strikes, and hours before the strikes on Venezuela. If F-22 Raptors deploy, that's usually a big signal.

Other aircraft that are usually involved are the EC-130H Compass Call, one of them deployed days before the Iranian and Venezuelan strikes.

Additional F-35As and F-35Bs, and F-16CJs for more AGM-88E AARGM shooters, are often deployed.

Trump ends temporary protected status for Somali people living in the US. Claiming conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that they no longer qualify for the status. 3000+ people with this status or applying for this status will be forced to leave the US by March 17th.

I genuinely don't think this was stopping ICE from assaulting these people before so this is just Trump signalling cruelty to his base.

I wonder if this current focus on Somali people in the US from the right is in any way connected to the increased focus on Somalia and Somaliland we're seeing in the Middle East or if it is just a coincidence.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/somalis-in-us-9.7043344

Do Indians not read the news at all?

Indians are delusional. Who tf they asking this?

https://ecfr.eu/publication/how-trump-is-making-china-great-again-and-what-it-means-for-europe/

nakedcapitalism with a good article by friend of the pod, Michael Hudson on the US weaponization of the global oil trade. His summary points:

The Key Demands of the U.S. Rules-Based Order Relating to Oil Are:

1. Control of the world’s oil trade is to remain a U.S. privilege

2. The Oil Trade must be priced and paid for in U.S. dollars

3. The Petrodollar Rule

4. “Green” energy alternatives to oil are to be discouraged, and the phenomenon of global warming and extreme weather denied.

5. No laws apply to or limit U.S. rules or policies

A valuable part of Hudson's analysis is that he describes how the US actually benefits from controlling the oil trade and from imperial interference in oil producing nations. The benefit isn't "we plundered the oil and now the US has cheap/free oil to work with," it's a much subtler and indirect form of benefit.

Trump on Truth Social:

Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America. This Order is final and conclusive. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Lol. Who knows what will happen with the Supreme Court tariff ruling tho.

It won't make much of a difference for Russia since they basically don't trade with the US at all anymore.

China will probably just tank this and retaliate somehow. They can't afford to let Iran collapse and be replaced with a US puppet government. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if China gives Iran some kind of bailout.

Could be a deal breaker for many of Iran's other trading partners though.

https://t.me/rnintel/51222

Trump announces a 10% tariff on Truth Social—against Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands, and Finland—which will increase to 25% on June 1st, unless Greenland is sold to the United States.

Israeli media: We will bomb Iran after the regime change (when the Shah is in) like we did in Syria.

https://xcancel.com/tparsi/status/2010881086700560720#m

Trump cancels meetings with Iranian officials and tells protesters 'help is on its way' https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/trump-cancel-meetings-iranian-officials-tells-protesters-129165750 https://archive.is/H8j0Q Here we go again

Trump threatens to impose the insurrection act over Minnesota ICE protests.

China’s fight against corruption is a battle we can’t afford to lose, Xi Jinping warns SCMP

President tells China’s top anti-graft watchdog that corruption is a ‘stumbling block’ that is hampering the country’s development

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said there must be no room for corrupt elements to hide as he warned that the problem was a threat to the country’s development.

On Monday, he told a plenary session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) – China’s top anti-corruption body – that the country had made notable progress last year, but the issue remained a “major struggle”.

“Corruption is a stumbling block and obstacle to the development of the [Communist] party and the country, and the fight against corruption is a major struggle that we cannot afford to lose,” he said, according to state news agency Xinhua.

“Currently, the situation in the fight against corruption remains grave and complex … We must maintain a high-pressure stance without wavering, resolutely punishing corruption wherever it exists, eliminating all forms of graft, and leaving no place for corrupt elements to hide.”

Xi also urged officials to come up with new methods to discover, identify and tackle all types of corruption.

This year will see a major overhaul of local governments across the country, and Xi said the party “must deploy cadres who are truly loyal, reliable, consistent and responsible”.

Immigration officers received a "legal refresher" reminding them that personal insults and rude gestures are legal

Putin is 'humiliated'