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From FOX News: UAE cuts funding for citizens studying at UK universities over campus radicalization fears: report. The move comes amid tensions over London's refusal to designate Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organization. [Ed: no comment required.]

From the DoDo: Man Climbs Up Building To Save A Dog Dangling On The 13th Floor.

Davos. From Zero Hedge: "A Rupture, Not A Transition": Canada's Carney Says "Rules-Based Order Is Fading" Ahead Of Trump's Address In Davos. [Ed: having grokked to the inescapable fact that they arel losing, the global powers want to change the game.] From Adam Tooze Substack: Chartbook 428 To matter or not to matter: Two theories of Davos 2026. [Ed: either the “death of Davos" or its resurgence.] From Swiss Info: Larry Fink Ponders Moving WEF Meetings From Davos to Dublin or Detroit. [Ed: I think this fits the resurgence or rebirth scenario.] From the Guardian: Trump says Europe ‘not heading in right direction’ as he addresses world leaders. From CNN: Davos Event Shuts Out Newsom After He Criticizes Trump. White House and State Department pressured organizers, post says

From the Associated Press: SCOTUS Appears Likely to Strike Down Gun 'Vampire Rule'. Hawaii law requires people to seek permission before bringing guns into businesses [Ed: called 'vampire' because of the 'permission to enter' angle.]

From the Last Refuge: German Chancellor Merz Admits Shutting Down Nuclear Energy Production Was A "Severe Strategic Mistake". “I know of no other country that makes things so expensive and difficult as Germany...”

From Zero Hedge: De Beers Cuts Diamond Prices, Botswana Warns Of Prolonged Slump. "The shortfall is likely to persist over the medium to long term with a possibility of a non-recovery."

From the Epoch Times: CBS Finally Airs Updated '60 Minutes' Report On US Deportations To Salvadoran Prison. The story was updated to include government statements, with no new on-camera interviews with administration officials.

From Propel Steps: Blind Dog Lilly and her partner Madison: Tale of Happiness and Sadness

Iran. From The Dissident: At The WEF, Scott Bessent Says The Quiet Part Out Loud About Sanctions On Iran. "...boasting that they caused their economy to collapse and led to the recent protests in Iran." From Dawn: Iran says internet to return ‘gradually’ after 11-day blackout Dawn. [Ed: does Bessent take credit for all the people who died from lack of medical care and other emergency services?] From GeoPolitiQ: The Outlaw US Empire withdraws from Iraq, as the latter establishes closer ties with Iran. [Ed: I say this with the oppposite of pleasure, 'there is going to be war with Iran'. I hope the hell I'm wrong.]

From Remix News: After Trump Meeting, Slovak PM Fico Says 'EU Is Not Taken Seriously' By World Leaders. ... the European Union is “not taken completely seriously” by world leaders because of its “suicidal migration policy” and “nonsense climate goals”...

From the Western Journal: St. Louis Calls Off Search for Band of Monkeys Allegedly Accompanied by a Goat After AI Images Flood Social Media. [Ed: included simply because I love the headline.]

Precious Metals. From Monetary Metals: Why BRICS Gold Demand Is a One-Way Street. From VBL: Breaking: HK–SGE Deal Advances Gold’s Collateral Repo Path. [Ed: important.]

From the DoDo: Dog Rescues A Baby Squirrel And Makes Him His Brother

From the Guardian: Era of ‘global water bankruptcy’ is here, UN report says Overuse and pollution must end urgently as no one knows when whole system might collapse, says expert.[Ed: thank goodness it is abundant in Canada. But I fear that this alarm bell will usher in a near version of climate change hysteria.]

Gaza. From Dropsite: Israel Is Preparing Land in Rafah to Corral Palestinians into an Area Under Full Military Occupation. Satellite images analyzed by Forensic Architecture show Israel razing land, compacting the ground, and clearing rubble in Rafah in a way that is not visible anywhere else east of the yellow line. [Ed: NOTE, there is nothing conclusive in this report. But, if it turns out to be true, then you heard it here first.]

From News Break: Trump's DOJ plans to hit ex-CNN host Don Lemon with Ku Klux Klan Act charges

ICE: From the Associated Press: ICE Memo: Agents Can Enter Homes Without Judicial Warrant. Whistleblower complaint alleges memo ignores Fourth Amendment AND Court: Feds Can Detain, Tear-Gas Peaceful Protesters. Appeals court freezes ruling banning retaliation against Minnesota protesters

From HuffPost UK: A Boy's Best Friend! Pet Dog Geo Saves 10-Year-Old Charlie's Life

From Science Alert: Aurora Watch in Effect as Severe Solar Storm Slams Into Earth

From Coinbits: Things are getting weird out there. You'll want the context for what comes next re: money. [Ed: interesting but I do not agree that the Fed has anything like a defining impact on real wealth or its 'fate' right now.]

From Doggo Digest: Sharon Stone Adopts Rescue Puppy After Seeing it on Awards Show Red Carpet

Organized Decline of America's Blue States. From FOX Business: Trump says New York Stock Exchange's Dallas expansion is "an unbelievably bad thing for New York". [Ed: once done, this shift will be incredibly difficult to undo.] From American Institute for Economic Research: Why California Is Bleeding Tech Jobs: Decline Is A Policy Choice. What California is now experiencing is not a cyclical tech downturn or a post-COVID-19 pandemic anomaly. It is a measurable, policy-driven decline in relative competitiveness...

From Son of the New American Revolution: Trump’s Confabulations are More Serious than Just a Response to a Bruised Ego,

Big Picture Economics. From QTR's Fringe Finance: How To Look Smart On TV And Dumb In History. 9 years ago, Bill Fleckenstein predicted exactly where we would be right now, and he was laughed off of CNBC for it. [Ed: translation: The Japanese Bond Market Is Imploding. A must read.] From Zero Hedge: "The US Is Basically Not A Good Credit": Danish Pension Fund To Sell US Treasuries. The good news: it's only $100 million. The bad news: others are now sure to follow. The question: where do they put their money instead... [Ed: a lot of interesting conversations at this year's Davos.] From Zero Hedge: TACO Tuesday? Everything Crashing As Trump Arrives In Davos Amid Japan Bond Meltdown.

From Mish Talk: New Research Shows Americans Bear 96% of US Tariff Costs.

Minneapolis. From FOX News: Sorry Omar Fateh, we're not doing Somali-run no-go zones in Minnesota. Minnesota lawmaker's X posts feature him standing before iconic towers with message about protecting community. [Ed: the State Senator declared Cedar Ridge area of Minneapolis to be no-go to white supremacists, which probably just means to whites.] From Cities Church: A Response to the Disruption of Our January 18 Worship Service. [Ed: the Church's response to being invaded by protesters, including Don Lemon.]

Greenland. From Spiked: Hands off Greenland! Neither President Trump nor his EU critics understand the first thing about sovereignty. From the BBC: Why does Trump want Greenland and what could it mean for Nato? [Ed: informative.] From the Guardian: ‘Make America Go Away’: spoof Maga caps soar in popularity amid Greenland crisis. Red caps are becoming a symbol of protest in Denmark as Donald Trump ratchets up the pressure on Greenland. From Moon of Alabama: Trump Will Take Greenland … And Then Go For More. [Ed: I will throw the dice and say that I, too, think Trump will acquire Greenland, in much the same manner as Puerto Rico.]

From the Post Millennial: NYC landlords face squeeze as Mamdani raises property taxes while planning to implement 'rent freeze'. From the Washington Examiner: Minnesota hotels shut down amid ICE protests over ‘heightened public safety concerns’

Don Lemon. From Zero Hedge: Don Lemon Faces KKK Act Charges On MLK Holiday. "There is zero tolerance for this kind of illegal behavior..." [Ed: I have seen the church invasion footage and other footage of Lemon...he was *not* there as a reporter. He was one of the activists.] From the New York Post: Congratulations, Don Lemon—you’ve managed to hit a new low and your tired excuses are delusional. From People: Don Lemon Responds After Being Put 'on Notice' By Trump DOJ Following Minneapolis Church Protest. [Ed: he is trying to say they're targeting him for being black and gay.]

From Daily Paws: Watch This Golden Retriever Steal His Owner's Steak and Go Full Jaws of Steel. It's like our dogs know they've stolen something really, really good.

From Spiked: The Islamic Republic is a cautionary tale for the left. In 1979, left-wing revolutionaries sided with Islamists – and ended up digging their own graves. [Ed: a must read.]

From People: Animal Shelter Takes in Abandoned Dog Who Keeps Returning to the Same Gravestone at Kentucky Cemetery

From Zero Hedge: Germany's Censorship Frontier And The Rise Of Digital Control. Schleswig?Holstein’s Minister?President Daniel Günther has, in what felt like a genteel salon, pulled back the curtain on the true censorship ambitions of politics...

From Saggezza Eterna: Architecture Of Plunder: Why The Modern Democratic Party Is A Kleptocracy. "The modern kleptocrat does not break the law; he writes the law to make his theft mandatory." "The modern Democrat Party is not merely a political coalition; it is a syndicalist engine of wealth extraction. It has evolved beyond the crude graft of Tammany Hall..." [Ed: a must read.]

O Canada. From the Independent: Trump is reportedly turning his attention to Canada and focusing on its ‘vulnerability'. [Ed: “vulnerability” to foreign adversaries, that is. Only, I don't know any nation that is likely to invade, other than America.] From Zero Hedge: Canada Weighs Token Troop Deployment To Greenland, But Fears Trump Wrath. [Ed: Carney is a lap dog...or he would be if the Conservatives didn't run with every word of weakness he speaks to Trump.] From the Post Millennial: Canadian PM Mark Carney reaches trade deal with China after advocating for 'new world order'

From Spiked: Net Zero: a multi-trillion-pound catastrophe. Politicians of all stripes have been systematically dishonest about the true cost of the green transition.

From Boing Boing: The Navy spent $13 billion on an aircraft carrier and can’t get the toilets to work. [Ed: No shit...]

Gaza. From Responsible Statecraft: Phase farce: No way ‘Board of Peace’ replaces reality in Gaza. There is no ceasefire, no aid, no Hamas disarmament, IDF withdrawal or stabilization force. Just a lot of talk about Trump-run panels with little buy-in. From Zero Hedge: More Than Ten Countries Have Signed On To Trump's 'Board Of Peace'. Which countries are involved remains unclear. [Ed: remember, Trump is now wheeling and dealing at Davos.]

From Zero Hedge: 'We Must Pass The SAVE Act': Republicans Engage In Serious Push For Voter ID. No ID and mailing in ballots make fraud trivial.... [Ed: as I've said before, the 2020 election was the dirtiest political event I've ever witnessed...and I'm sure I witnessed only a small fraction of it.]

Iran. From the Cradle: Trump balked but war is inevitable: Will Iran attack first? Tel Aviv and Washington are sharpening their knives – but military doctrine favors the first mover, and Tehran may be running out of time. [Ed: damn. I respect this author's opinion; he's usually correct.] From Politico: Trump to POLITICO: ‘It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran’ [Ed: Politico seems an odd venue through which to announce this.]

From Orvis News: Project Unconditional #36: “On the Sea with Miss Kitty” [Ed: Miss Kitty is a dog.]

From the Post Millennial: 8 states spent $1.8 BILLION from Medicaid on illegal immigrants: Mehmet Oz. "If states use their own money to do it, there needs to be a clear paper trail proving that federal dollars didn’t fund those services."

BREAKING. From NBC News: DOJ serves subpoenas to Walz, Frey and other Minnesota officials amid immigration crackdown. The subpoenas widen the federal investigation into whether Minnesota officials conspired to impede law enforcement during the Trump administration's immigration operations.

From Phys.org: US to repeal the basis for its climate rules: What to know

From Newsweek: Walker Puzzled by Daily Red Mark on Dog’s Head—Then Learns the Sweet Reason.

Davos. From the Guardian: Davos 2026: the last-chance saloon to save the old world order? [Ed: Davos '26 runs 19-23 January.] From Politico.EU: How Davos went MAGA, U.S. President Donald Trump’s star turn signals a new era for the World Economic Forum.

From Politico: Trump says he will sue JPMorgan ‘over the next two weeks’ for allegedly ‘DEBANKING’ him. The president also ruled out the bank’s CEO, Jamie Dimon, as a possible pick for Fed chair. Trump has increasingly folded this into a broader narrative of “debanking” conservatives.

From Jonathan Turley: Michael Cohen Turns Against Letitia James and Alvin Bragg

From City Journal: Rude but Right on Crime. President Trump’s public reaction to violent lawlessness is without precedent in recent Oval Office history. [Ed: by Heather MacDonald.]

From the Associated Press: Hard-right populist wins a place in a two-way runoff in Portugal’s presidential election From Politico: Center left wins Portugal presidential election first round, exit poll says. [Ed: the next election is next month.]

Trump Tariffs. From Son of the New American Revolution: Will Trump’s Threat to Increase Tariffs on Europe Spark a Financial Crisis?

Greenland. From Politico.EU: Hit back at Trump? Europe mulls unthinkable options as Greenland threats ramp up tensions. Senior politicians want the EU to deploy its trade bazooka against the United States over Trump’s Greenland claims. Capitals aren’t so sure. From Simplicius: The Psychological Stake in Greenland. [Ed: I am hearing Elbridge Colby's name more and more often.] From the Washington Examiner: Cruz cites America’s ‘history of acquiring new lands’ in defending Trump’s Greenland push. [Ed: this doesn't make it a proper thing to do. It could be totally wrong...but with precedent.]

The U.S. Elections. From Constitutional Rights Pac: Supreme Court Clears Path for Illinois Congressman to Challenge Mail-In Voting Laws. [Ed: from the beginning, I believed (and still believe) that the 2020 elections were massively rigged.]

From Paw Buzz: Dog Owners Returned From Vacation To Realize What Sitter Really Did While They Were Gone [Ed: happy story.]

All Things ICE, From Reason: These DHS Policies Could Have Prevented Renee Good's Death. From the New York Post: Trump’s DOJ puts Don Lemon ‘on notice’ over allegations he joined anti-ICE mob that stormed church. [Ed: Lemon's participation is on video that has streamed already. Hardly an allegation.]

From Dances with Bears: The White House Archive— What Vladimir Putin Confided to George W. Bush, What He Means Now. [Ed: fascinating.]

Minneapolis. From PJ Media: And Suddenly, About 100 Minneapolis Cops Disappeared.

Trump's Ego is Reshaping the World. From Mish Talk: We Are Now Bearing the Poisoned Fruit of Trump’s Self-Proclaimed Morality. [Ed: damned frightening list.] From the Libertarian Institute: Trump’s Economic Belligerence is Driving Canada into China’s Arms. From Indy100: Trump pens 'deranged' letter to Europe saying he no longer feels 'obliged' to think 'purely of Peace'. [Ed: well, I don't think the letter is deranged any more than I think it is brilliant, as conservatives claim. It is just Trump being Trump.] From the Washington Examiner: Did Trump let his Iran rhetoric get ahead of his strategy?

Iran. From the Associated Press: In Bold Act of Defiance, Hackers Hijack Iran State TV. Security forces urged to 'join the people' and the fight for freedom. From Politico: Trump to POLITICO: ‘It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran’ [Ed: so far Trump has not delivered on any of his threats or warnings to Iran. So far...] From the Washington Examiner: Iran vows ‘all-out war’ if ayatollah targeted after Trump threatens regime change.

Fraud Related. From FOX News: White House-backed GOP bill would revoke citizenship after Somali fraud scandal.

From Sunny Skyz: Man’s Best Friend: The Story Behind An Unforgettable Tomb In London

From New York Post: Putin invited to join Trump’s Gaza ‘Board of Peace,’ Kremlin says

Upcoming U.S. Elections. From Lexington Herald Leader: Elon Musk Makes a Big Move in Kentucky Senate Race. Billionaire backs pro-Trump candidate to replace McConnell with $10M donation. [Ed: the GOP is expected to hold this seat but Trump clearly wants *this* candidate to win, not another Republican.] From the Post Millennial: Dem-controlled Virginia legislature passes measure to advance redistricting, likely eliminating GOP seats. If voters approve the amendment, responsibility for drawing congressional maps would shift from the state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission to the legislature through 2030.

From Doggo Digest: Hairless Street Stray Transforms to Fluffy Sensation

From Dave Barry's Substack: Dear Hoosiers: Welcome to Miami! Really. [Ed: I am quite the fan of Dave Barry's humor.]