US News

• Legal marijuana jobs increased by 77,000 in 2020. Now over 300,000 Americans work in the weed industry. [Link]
• Paul Sperry was suspended by Twitter. [Link]
• Texas police killed a man by setting on fire with their tasers. The cops received qualified immunity. [Link]
• Six Capitol police officers were suspended and 35 are under investigation related to the Capitol riot. [Link] 
• The Capitol Police want to leave the fence up around the Capitol for several months. [Link]
• Biden will give $4 billion aid to global vaccine relief. [Link]

North Korea

• The US charges three North Koreans for allegedly stealing more than $1.3 billion in cyber crimes. The US says the men are associated with the North Korean intelligence service. [Link]

Iran

• The US says it is open to talks with Iran but the talks must include regional issues. [Link]
• Iran’s Foreign Minister says Iran will return to the JCPOA once the US lifts sanctions. [Link]
• The US resends a claim that all UN sanctions had been reimposed on Iran. [Link]

Middle East

• Turkey hired American firm Arnold and Porter to lobby for the country to get back into the F-35 program. Arnold and Porter will make $750,000 over the next six months. [Link]
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin calls Saudi Crown Prince MbS to affirm the US strategic ties with Saudi. [Link]
• The NATO Chief said the alliance will increase troops levels in Iraq from 500 to 4,000. [Link]
• The Saudi-backed forces in Yemen will receive reinforcements and additional air support from the Kingdom. The Houthi have been closing in on a key city in central Yemen. [Link]

Africa

• As many as 800 Tigrayans were massacred at a church by the Ethiopian military in late November. The people were not allowed to bury the dead and many bodies were eaten. [Link]
• Seven years after a peace agreement was signed, South Sudan continued to struggle with violent attacks often based on ethnic lines. [Link]
• Suspected Islamist militants killed eight people in Burkina Faso and nine people in Mali. [Link]