Iranian Military Slaughtering Their Own Citizens; Estimates Between 12,000 and 20,000

Those estimates are rough—and virtually impossible to confirm at this time—but it’s clear that the regime is willing to kill their own. Jerusalem Post: Over 12,000 people have been killed during the protests in Iran, largely over the course of Thursday and Friday nights, Iran International reported on Tuesday, describing the events as “the largest killing in Iran’s contemporary history.” These figures are unconfirmed estimates by the outlet. One source within Iran told CBS that the death toll could be as high as 20,000 people (CBS). Summary from HRANA—the Human Rights News Agency, Persians operating out of France, advocating for their people: According to HRANA’s aggregated data through the end of the seventeenth day, a total of 614 protest gatherings have been recorded nationwide. These demonstrations took place in 187 cities and covered all 31 provinces of the country. Regarding arrests, the detention of 18,434 individuals has been confirmed. At the same time, 97 cases of forced confessions have been broadcast, and 1,134 people with severe injuries have been reported (HRANA). Sen. Tom Cotton: Remember: this is a terrorist regime that has killed hundreds of Americans and tried to assassinate Americans on U.S. soil (Cotton). In Tehran, the freedom advocates remain out in force. Melanie Phillips: Between 2000 and 20,000 murdered in two weeks, and  yet now this. One can only watch in awe, and in tears. In a world consumed by pessimism and cynicism, here is the human spirit unbowed and in all its glory (Phillips).

Trump to the People of Iran: ‘HELP IS ON ITS WAY’

Many, it’s pretty clear, are wondering if they can live long enough for help to arrive. Trump on Tuesday morning: Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP (Truth). CBS News: President Trump threatened to “take very strong action” if Iranian authorities begin hanging anti-government protesters this week. “We will take very strong action. If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action,” Mr. Trump told “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil (CBS News). Senator Lindsey Graham: President @realDonaldTrump is certainly not Obama. In my view, he is Reagan Plus when it comes to protecting America’s vital national security interests…. The death blow to the ayatollah is going to be a combination of the incredible patriotic bravery of the protestors, and decisive action by President Trump.  The protestors go to the streets unarmed, risking their lives because they believe President Trump has their backs. The tipping point of this long journey will be President Trump’s resolve. No boots on the ground, but unleashing holy hell — as he promised — on the regime that has trampled every red line. A massive wave of military, cyber and psychological attacks is the meat and bones of “help is on the way” (Graham).

Supreme Court Looks Likely to Let States’ Laws Protecting Women’s Sports Stand

If, indeed, that’s the case, it will be a victory for biological reality. Amy Howe at SCOTUS Blog: The Supreme Court on Tuesday during oral arguments seemed likely to uphold laws that prohibit transgender women and girls from competing on women’s and girls’ school sports teams. After nearly three-and-a-half hours of arguments in a pair of cases from Idaho and West Virginia, a majority of the justices appeared to agree with the states that the laws can remain in place, even if it was not clear how broadly their ruling might sweep (SCOTUS Blog). Indicative of perhaps a narrower ruling was the query from Justice Kavanaugh: Justice Brett Kavanaugh and several other justices indicated they were reluctant to make a sweeping assertion on the validity of those states’ positions. “Why would we, at this point, jump in and try to constitutionalize a rule for the whole country?” Kavanaugh asked (Wall Street Journal).

Liberal Justices—and ALCU Lawyers—Still Wresting With This Whole Notion of What a Woman Is

We’ll start with the ACLU lawyer. Justice Alito: And what is that definition for equal protection purposes? What does it mean to be a boy or a girl, or a man or a woman? ACLU lawyer: Sorry, I misunderstood your question….  We do not have a definition for the court, and we don’t take issue with the, we’re not disputing the definition here. What we’re saying is that the way it applies in practice is to exclude birth sex males categorically from women’s teams, and that there’s a subset of those birth sex males where it doesn’t make sense to do so according to the state’s own interest.  Justice Alito: Well, how can a court determine whether there’s discrimination on the basis of sex without knowing what sex means for equal protection purposes? (Daugherty). And: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has been the subject of much-deserved derision for her “word salad”:  Justice Jackson: And so, to the extent, that you have an individual, who says what is happening in this law is that it is treating someone who is transgender, but who does not have, because of the medical interventions and the things that have been done, who does not have, uh, the same, uh, threat to physical competition and safety and all the reasons the state puts forward — that’s actually a different class, says this individual. So you’re not treating the class the same. And how do you respond to that? Nick Arama at Red State: Huh, what? Perhaps that’s not surprising, coming from someone who couldn’t define what a woman was during her confirmation hearing because she wasn’t a “biologist” (Red State).

Trump Visits Michigan, Touts Economic Growth; Could We Be Seeing the Trump Boom?

He visited the Ford plant and spoke at the Detroit Economic Club. Larry Kudlow: Here’s how he began the speech: “Under our administration, growth is exploding. Productivity is soaring. Investment is booming. Incomes are rising. Inflation is defeated. America is respected again. Like never before.” And in usual Trumpian style, after taking about an hour or so, having touched on all the bases, here’s how he concluded his Booming at Detroit speech: “My spirit is restored. Inflation is stopped. Wages are up, prices are down. Our economy is booming, like I think you’ll see soon, like never before” (New York Sun). Could we be seeing the Trump Boom? New York Sun: The outlines of a Trump Boom are emerging in sharper relief with the Atlanta Fed’s estimate of 5.1 percent growth in America’s gross domestic product in the fourth quarter of 2025. Such growth hasn’t been seen since the post-pandemic recovery — and before that, toward the end of the Clinton years (New York Sun). Ed Morrissey: as long as GDP continues to produce red-hot growth numbers and if the jobs reports start showing real expansion, it will be a strong hand for Trump and the GOP for their stay-the-course message (Hot Air).

Trump Administration to End Temporary Protected Status for Somalis, End Funding for Sanctuary Cities

As President Trump says: FEAR NOT, GREAT PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA, THE DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING! (Truth). Fox News: The Trump administration is ending temporary protection status (TPS) for Somalia, affecting several thousand Somalis currently living in the U.S. and several hundred currently living in Minnesota under the protection. Somali migrants with TPS will be required to leave the country by March 17. “Temporary means temporary,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status” (Fox News). USCIS—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: Somali nationals with TPS are now required to leave the United States by March 17, 2026 (USCIS). And: On sanctuary cities: President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he will suspend federal funding to sanctuary cities and states beginning Feb. 1 as his administration’s immigration crackdown continues. “Starting February 1, we are not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens,” Trump said during his address at the Detroit Economic Club (Politico).

President and Hillary Clinton Refuse to Testify on Epstein Inquiry

And will be held in contempt of Congress. Now why would the paragon of virtue, our former president be reticent to testify? New York Times: Bill and Hillary Clinton refused on Tuesday to testify in the House’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation, escalating a monthslong battle with its Republican leader, Representative James R. Comer of Kentucky, who quickly said he would take steps to hold them in contempt of Congress (New York Times). Ed Morrissey: Say … how did that discharge petition work out for Democrats, anyway? A few weeks ago, Democrats demanded full exposure of the investigative and grand-jury files related to the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. They forced a bill onto the House floor via that normally arcane procedure, while painting Republicans as obstructionists in protection of a president. As it turns out, though, one president eventually endorsed transparency. And another now has not…. recall that Merrick Garland imprisoned Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro for refusing to respond to House committee subpoenas. The Democrat-led House at the time passed a contempt referral, and the Department of Justice prosecuted and convicted both. Donald Trump eventually pardoned them, but that precedent has now been set. And Comer plans to follow it (Hot Air).

US Follows Through on Terror Designation for Muslim Brotherhood

The next step from the Executive Order in November where such a designation was announced (White House). From the State Department: The Department of State is designating the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), and the group’s leader Muhammad Fawzi Taqqosh as an SDGT. Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is designating the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood as SDGTs for providing material support to Hamas. These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters’ violence and destabilization wherever it occurs. The United States will use all available tools to deprive these Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism (State). Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: The Muslim Brotherhood has a longstanding record of perpetrating acts of terror, and we are working aggressively to cut them off from the financial system.  This Administration will deploy the full scope of its authorities to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat terrorist networks wherever they operate in order to keep Americans safe (Bessent). Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President Senior Director for Counter Terrorism: Oh ye of little faith. Now it is official. President @realDonaldTrump has designated three Muslim Brotherhood organizations today, including the original and most important Egyptian one. This action should have occurred decades ago. But we needed a Commander-in-Chief who understood the existential threat posed by Salafi Jihadism. Stay tuned. More to follow (Gorka).

Pro-Life Leaders Press Back: No, We Can’t Be Flexible on Hyde Amendment

For context: The Hyde Amendment is the 1976 bill prohibiting federal funds from being used for abortion (FRC). Today: The GOP is looking to pass legislation before the midterms that would lower healthcare costs. As they do, last week President Trump said, “You gotta be a little flexible” in the negotiations (Axios). It was not perfectly clear that he was arguing for an abandonment of the Hyde Amendment in proposed legislation. But pro-life leaders are not waiting around to find out. Albert Mohler: Now, it is certainly true, and President Trump can do the math here, it’s certainly true that in his winning coalition for the White House, there were a lot of people who are not driven by the abortion issue. But what he also has to keep in mind is that the Republican Party cannot win, period, simply cannot win without active activist eager pro-life support…. To give the Hide Amendment away now, it’s a political disaster, but that pales over against the moral significance. It will lead to even greater numbers of unborn babies. It will mean untold numbers of unborn human lives simply terminated in the womb. That is morally unacceptable. And it means the American taxpayer will not only have to acknowledge that fact, the American taxpayer will be coerced into paying for abortions. That is unconscionable. Mr. President, this one is a deal breaker. Conservatives can be flexible on any number of issues, but Mr. President, this isn’t one of those issues (Mohler).

Franklin Graham Calls Nation to Prayer

At noon today. From the son of the late evangelist and the head of Samaritan’s Purse: If you think our nation is in trouble now, just wait… As our streets boil over with hate, anger, crime, drugs, and just sheer hopelessness, is there something we can do? You bet there is. I would like to call for a time of prayer and repentance this Wednesday, January 14, at 12:00 noon. As a nation our sins are so great. We have increasingly turned our backs on God and His commands, embracing godless secularism. We need to ask His forgiveness and seek His face. Pray for our leaders, and pray that God would bring calm to our streets. There are many who would like to stir things up—there are even those who would like to destroy this great country. Pray that these efforts would be thwarted and their plans would be brought into confusion (Samaritan’s Purse; X).