US News
- Kelley Vlahos writes on the legacy of the great Walter Jones. [Link]
- YouTube will stop recommending conspiracy videos. [Link]
- California’s governor announces the state will only complete a small portion of its high-speed rail project. [Link]
- The Pentagon will seek to add billions to its OCO account in 2020. The OCO is considered to be a slush fund for the Pentagon. [Link]
War on Drugs
- New York police unions announce their opposition to the state legalizing marijuana. [Link]
- The WHO says CBD has no health or addiction risks. [Link]
- The US-supported Mexican war on drugs contributed to Mexico’s record deadly year in 2018. [Link]
Middle East
- A suicide bomber kills 41 IRGC troops inside of Iran. [Link]
- An IRGC commander says the Iranian response to the suicide bombing will not be limited to Iranian borders. The group responsible for the attack is known to operate in Pakistan. [Link]
- The Iraqi Prime Minister says there will be no permanent foreign military bases in Iraq. [Link]
- Patrick Cockburn breaks down the jihadists movements in Syria. ISIS has nearly lost all of its territories but is still able to carry out attacks. Al-Qaeda has gained significant territory from other Syrian rebel groups. [Link]
- The House passes a War Powers bill to end the US role in the Yemen War. [Link]
Afghanistan
- Acting Defense Secretary says he has received no orders from Trump to drawdown in Afghanistan. [Link]
- The US carried out a record number of airstrikes in Afghanistan during 2018. [Link]
Africa
- ACLED warns the violence in the Sahel will get worse in 2019. [Link]
- France came to the assistance of the Chadian president by bombing rebels attempting a coup. [Link]
- The UN warns the violence in Mali is getting worse. The UN is calling for an effective military operation to restore stability. [Link]
