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]