Category: News
SCAM Act Introduced To Revoke Citizenship Of Migrants Who Commit Fraud, Serious Felonies
SCAM Act Introduced To Revoke Citizenship Of Migrants Who Commit Fraud, Serious Felonies
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) has introduced the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation (SCAM) Act that would strip citizenship from individuals who commit serious crimes within 10 years of their naturalization.
According to Schmitt, the legislation would expand the grounds for beginning the denaturalization process to include welfare fraud, aggravated felonies and joining a terrorist organization, including gangs and cartels.
Fox New reports that the SCAM Act would create a 10-year window, post-naturalization, which would lower the threshold for federal authorities to strike an individual’s citizenship and to begin deportation proceedings.
🚨 BREAKING: Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) just filed legislation REVOKING the citizenship of legal migrants who commit fraud and serious felonies, including the Somalis in Minnesota
GET IT PASSED! 🔥
The SCAM Act applies to serious crimes after being naturalized: “It’s evidence… pic.twitter.com/IvTiCuhfml
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 19, 2026
Schmitt alluded to the welfare fraud that has been uncovered in Minnesota as a “wake-up call” and stated, “American citizenship is a privilege, and anyone hoping to be a part of our great nation must demonstrate a sincere attachment to our Constitution, upstanding moral character, and a commitment to the happiness and good order of the United States.”
Prosecutors investigating the growing Minnesota fraud scandal have charged dozens of native-Somali residents in connection with the fraud and estimate that there are upwards of $9 billion in stolen funds.
Schmitt went on to say, “ People who commit felony fraud, serious felonies, or join terrorist organizations like drug cartels shortly after taking their citizenship oaths fail to uphold the basic standards of citizenship.”
The SCAM Act also anticipates court challenges to the legislation with a built-in mechanism to switch out the 10-year window to a 5-year window, if found to be unconstitutional.
Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and President Trump’s Homeland Security advisor says the White House is backing Schmitt’s legislation, saying, “The Somali fraud scandal is one of the greatest financial scandals in American history. All Somali refugees, or any other immigrants, who have committed fraud against the United States must be immediately denaturalized and deported.”
Miller added, “We applaud Senator Schmitt for his leadership.”
The SCAM Act has been introduced in the U.S. Senate but has not yet received a hearing.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 01/31/2026 – 21:00
Cops: Two teens shot on a CTA bus in Humboldt Park following quarrel
Two teens were shot Saturday afternoon on a CTA bus in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, according to Chicago police.
Two males, 15 and 18, were aboard the bus when they were shot in the 4000 block of West Chicago Avenue near Orr Academy High School around 3:20 pm, police said.
The teens were shot after a verbal dispute between a male of unknown age and a group of males, police said.
The 15-year-old was taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition and the 18-year-old was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair condition.
There is no one in custody and detectives are investigating.
NASA begins a practice countdown for its first moonshot with astronauts in more than 50 years
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA began a two-day practice countdown Saturday leading up to the fueling of its new moon rocket, a crucial test that will determine when four astronauts blast off on a lunar flyby.
Already in quarantine to avoid germs, Commander Reid Wiseman and his crew will be the first people to launch to the moon since 1972. They will monitor the dress rehearsal from their Houston base before flying to Kennedy Space Center once the rocket is cleared for flight.
The 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket moved out to the pad two weeks ago. If Monday’s fueling test goes well, NASA could try to launch within a week. Teams will fill the rocket’s tank with more than 700,000 gallons of super-cold fuel, stopping a half-minute short of when the engines would light.
A bitter cold spell delayed the fueling demo, and the launch, by two days. Feb. 8 is now the earliest the rocket could blast off.
Riding in the Orion capsule on top of the rocket, the U.S. and Canadian astronauts will hurtle around the moon and then straight back without stopping until splashdown in the Pacific. The mission will last nearly 10 days.
NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon during the Apollo program, from 1968 to 1972. Twelve of them walked on the surface.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/31/nasa-practice-countdown-moonshot/
Hundreds gather for pre-Ramadan Iftar Bazaar in Rosemont
Crescent-moon decorations and white drapery lined the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center as families wandered from vendor to vendor, sampling food, browsing handcrafted goods and preparing for the sacred month of Ramadan.
Hundreds of people from across Chicagoland attended Saturday’s second Iftar Bazaar in Rosemont, a daylong, pre-Ramadan expo blending food, shopping and community programming. The women-led event, hosted by Chitown Desi and Muslim Ladies of Chicagoland, ran from noon to 11 p.m. and featured cuisines from around the world, cultural performances, international fashion, gifts and wellness services.
“It’s so important for us to be able to have a holiday market to showcase who we are, to show our children that like this is our heritage, this is our beliefs and Ramadan is such an important month,” Zakiya Master, owner of Blend of Spice, said.
At 2 p.m., organizers kicked off the afternoon with an inaugural ceremony and ribbon cutting. During the ceremony, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was presented with the Champion of Economic Empowerment and Social Justice plaque, recognizing his support of small businesses and immigrant communities.
“I want to thank you all for being here today and for making history in this space,” Johnson said. “May you all have a blessed and special Ramadan, and also know that as mayor of the city of Chicago, it is truly my honor to defend the rights of all of you that are here today. And no matter what this president does, I will always stand up to protect our immigrant communities.”
Before attending the event, Johnson signed an executive order directing Chicago police to investigate alleged abuses by federal immigration agents for potential felony prosecution.
Organizers said the bazaar was designed not only as a celebration but also as a platform to uplift Chicagoland’s small-business owners, many of whom are immigrants.
“Business went down because of the nature of what’s happening right now,” said Saiema Quadri, founder of Chitown Desi. “And so we were like, let’s all come together and just put this out there in the spirit of Ramadan.”
Named after the daily sunset-fast-breaking meal during Ramadan, Iftar, last year’s event focused primarily on food and Ramadan preparation. This year, Quadri said they intentionally broadened the bazaar to include fashion and lifestyle vendors.
Sara Khalid attended the expo looking for traditional clothing, which she said would be expensive to purchase online due to tariffs.
“It’s nice that we can have bazaars and things like that for the community, for the local vendors and then for people to come out and buy things,” Khalid said.
More than 100 vendors participated, offering a wide range of products and services. In addition to food, guests browsed traditional apparel, jewelry and accessories. Vendors also provided Islamic literature, artisan candles, wood decorations and more.
Eyad Murrar, the co-founder of Coffee for Gaza, along with his cousin, sells a wide variety of coffee beans, with 50% of the profit going directly to humanitarian relief for Gaza.
“It’s always nice because you get people from all walks of life,” Murrar said. “You’re getting the word out there.”
Beyond retail, the bazaar functioned as a service hub. Attendees could sign up for Muslim matchmaking services, participate in Ramadan tablescape workshops, get henna tattoos or join a guided painting class. Wellness offerings sat alongside giftable goods, reflecting the many ways families prepare for the holy month.
Youth entrepreneurship was another focal point for organizers. In the Young Entrepreneurs Zone, participants ages 14 to 23 competed for free business coaching and mentorship from business development company Pure Radiance.
Fifteen-year-old Haleemah Siddiqui is the founder of Haleemah’s Bake House. She bakes pastries, cakes and breads all from her home kitchen. She provided cookies, cinnamon rolls and cake pops at the bazaar. While she was excited to be among fellow young entrepreneurs, she didn’t think of the event as a competition.
“Me coming here was more to provide something different for the community and see what everybody else was making,” Siddiqui said.
For children, there was a “Lil Habibis” area where kids could watch Islamic performances and listen to children’s authors read their books. Parents could drop off their kids for one hour as they explored the bazaar.
“It’s very very touching that everyone is just coming together as one big team,” Quadri said. “Whatever it is, there is something for everyone.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/31/ramadan-iftar-bazaar-rosemont/
Dear ICE Protestors: We Need To Talk…
Dear ICE Protestors: We Need To Talk…
Authored by Jenna McCarthy via Jenna’s Side Rocks,
Dear ICE Protestors,
It’s been a rough few months out there. You’ve shown up. You’ve resisted. You’ve rallied. You’ve organized. You’ve made signs. So. Many. Signs. You’ve launched illegal fireworks, damaged property, blocked traffic, broken the law, bashed in windows, assaulted agents, and berated scores of strangers simply for doing their jobs. You must be exhausted. I see you. I feel you. I am in awe of your stamina.
So let’s pretend, for argument’s sake and to give you a desperately-needed break, you win.
Let’s pretend all the chanting, the honking, the whistling, the street-blocking, the papier-mâché puppets, the Sharpie signs, the interpretive screaming, and the celebrity Instagram threats finally break the will of the federal government and ICE collapses under the sheer weight of your moral outrage.
Congratulations. Please enjoy a festive evening of vegan hors d’oeuvres, pronoun-affirming drum circles, and self-congratulatory chanting. You’ve earned it.
Go on, party it up!
After you shake the ethically-sourced, biodegradable confetti out of your hair, I just have one question: Now what?
No, seriously. What’s your plan?
Because tragically, our towns are teeming with dangerous, law-breaking repeat offenders—many of them wanted for horrific, unspeakable crimes here and in other countries. Blaming ICE for trying to remove them would be like blaming the home inspector for finding asbestos in the dream house you just fell in love with.
These bad actors are here. You don’t have to like it, but you do have to accept it. (I know! Objective reality isn’t really your thing. But try.) So what do we do about them? Do we ask a bunch of fugitives to kindly turn themselves in to the nearest Department of Feelings & Hugs? Do we hand big red “PLEASE STOP, YOU’RE BEING NAUGHTY” paddles to community volunteers? Do we just leave the child rapists, domestic abusers, drug smugglers, home invaders, human traffickers, carjackers, murderers, and violent felons exactly where they are and hope they find God without a map or a moral compass?
Hahahaha, I mean, okay.
Because here’s the part you seem to have left out of the ICE-free utopia you imagine: federal immigration officers aren’t hunting down gardeners, grandpas, or the kid who overstayed her student visa because she adopted a Labradoodle. In one 24-hour period alone this week, ICE arrested five illegal immigrants charged with heinous crimes including rape by force, aggravated assault, and sodomy of a minor. You know, the sort of atrocities Netflix makes eight-part documentaries about.
And you’re… protesting that?
Let’s run your victory scenario one more time: You kick ICE to the curb. Strip the agency of every drop of federal funding. Fire every last evil, horrible, power-hungry agent. Finally! Nobody is arresting or removing violent offenders anywhere in the country. Phew! Except… now those violent offenders stay in your city. In your neighborhoods. Near your kids. Near your friends. Near you. What happens when one of them abducts a toddler from the preschool playground? Or robs you at knifepoint in the Trader Joe’s parking lot. Or breaks into your neighbor’s home and murders a mother of three. Who do you call? Katy Perry? The police? Oh, wait. You want to defund them, too.
You’re probably not a regular reader of my column, so you may not know that immigration enforcement isn’t even a Trump invention. Nope. It’s happened under every administration since presidents wore wigs. In fact, your boy Barack deported more illegals than any American leader in history.
(Go ahead. Go lie down for a spell. It’s not your fault CNN never told you that.)
Look, I get it. ICE has terrible branding. The name sounds like a villain straight out of a Marvel movie. Truly, someone at DHS should have workshopped it harder. If they had called it the Department of Removing Child Predators and Machete-Wielding Lunatics From Your Neighborhood, you’d all be crocheting them honorary sashes. But because the acronym sounds cold, or mean, or insufficiently infused with social-justice aromatherapy, thousands of you are sprinting around Minneapolis hurling rocks at officers who just removed a convicted child rapist from an elementary school’s zip code.
I realize that there have been two extremely high-profile deaths involving ICE recently. In fact, since Trump deployed the agency last year, there have been five lost lives—each of them tragic (and arguably avoidable). Shockingly—not—most states don’t record immigration status in arrest or conviction data. And mainstream media is historically allergic to reporting on violent migrant crime. Social media, however, is not.
There are so, so many more, but I suspect you get the gist.
“We are Renee Good,” you chant. Yes, yes you are. You swarm the streets, interfere with lawful operations, ignore police orders, and charge at armed federal agents, and then everyone around you is shocked—I’m talking downright flabbergasted—when you get hurt. Exactly what, respectfully, did you think was going to happen? There’s a reason the saying isn’t, “If you play with fire, you’ll come out refreshed and rejuvenated.”
“But illegal immigrants statistically commit fewer crimes than white Americans,” you insist. And rattlesnakes kill exponentially fewer people than cobras do… but I’m still calling animal control if I find one curled up on my pillow. (Also, and I know you hate hearing it, but we’re talking about people who are in violation of U.S. law before the story even begins here. Sorry, but that part matters.)
I can concede that our current immigration enforcement system is far from perfect; can you concede that something needs to be done? Can you muster an ounce of sympathy for the souls whose lives have been destroyed or taken at the hands of monsters who are here unlawfully? Or do they not matter to you because there’s no colorful I STAND WITH VICTIMS OF FOREIGN PREDATORS ring you can put around your Facebook photo?
If you really want that warm, fuzzy, ethically-superior glow, here’s a wild idea: channel your rage into something that’s remotely productive. By all means, push for greater accountability. Demand body-cams, clearer use-of-force rules, unbiased investigations, and better training. Drop off kombucha for the oversight committee. Knit them a throw. Truly, knock yourselves out. But “ABOLISH ICE” isn’t a reform; it’s a tantrum. If you want your activism to actually protect people instead of endangering them, try aiming at their flaws instead of their existence. It’ll give you the same dopamine hit with far fewer funerals.
I know. Smashing things and yelling obscenities is so much more satisfying. But until your side comes up with an alternative that magically removes ruthless foreign criminals from American cities without ICE having to do it, your entire movement amounts to: “We hate this necessary thing because Trump.”
And that’s not public policy. That’s group therapy with a banner budget.
I look forward to your thoughtful reply,
Jenna 💋
Tyler Durden
Sat, 01/31/2026 – 19:50
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/dear-ice-protestors-we-need-talk
Justin Rose ofrece una actuación estilo Woods en Torrey Pines y lidera por 6 golpes
Por DOUG FERGUSON
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Justin Rose ofreció una actuación en Torrey Pines que pareció propia de Tiger Woods, para ampliar su ventaja incluso hasta ocho golpes el sábado. Pero algunos errores tardíos lo llevaron a una ronda de 68, cuatro bajo par, para una ventaja de seis golpes en el Farmers Insurance Open.
Rose, quien ganó en Torrey en 2019, comenzó la tercera ronda con una ventaja de cuatro golpes y rápidamente se alejó con una brillante racha de tres hoyos en los primeros nueve del Campo Sur.
Golpeó un pitching wedge hacia un pin trasero en el hoyo cinco, par cinco, a seis pies. Con una madera desde 252 yardas quedó a unos 30 pies a la altura del pin en el sexto hoyo, par cinco.
Requirió de dos birdies para acreditarse el putt. Y luego enfrentó otra bandera ajustada sobre el búnker en el siete, a cinco pies.
Rose se situa en un acumulado de 195, 21 bajo par. Fue la segunda mayor ventaja tras 54 hoyos en el torneo, detrás de la de ocho golpes que Woods tuvo en 2008.
Woods prácticamente dominó el campo a lo largo del Pacific Bluff con ocho victorias como profesional, incluyendo el U.S. Open.
Brooks Koepka, en su regreso a la Gira de la PGA desde la liga LIV Golf financiada por Arabia Saudí, jugó una ronda sólida excepto por los putts cortos. Tuvo un doble bogey en el par hoyo 11 par tres.
Incurrió en un bogey en el noveno, par cinco, su último hoyo, para entregar una tarjeta de 73.
Power estaba haciendo su mejor esfuerzo para mantenerse a buena distancia hasta que tres bogeys consecutivos lo sacaron de la contienda. Dahmen terminó fuerte con un 68 y está en segundo lugar.
___
Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Trump dice que el gobierno federal no intervendrá en protestas en ciudades demócratas sin solicitud
Por WILL WEISSERT
WASHINGTON (AP) — El presidente Donald Trump dijo que instruyó a la secretaria de Seguridad Nacional, Kristi Noem, para que no intervenga en las protestas que ocurren en ciudades gobernadas por demócratas, a menos que las autoridades locales soliciten ayuda federal, en medio de las crecientes críticas a la ofensiva de su gobierno en materia de inmigración.
En su red social, Trump publicó que “en ninguna circunstancia vamos a participar en distintas ciudades demócratas mal administradas con respecto a sus protestas y/o disturbios, a menos que, y hasta que, nos pidan ayuda”.
No proporcionó más detalles sobre cómo su orden afectaría las operaciones del personal del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos y del Departamento de Seguridad nacional (ICE y DHS, respectivamente, por sus siglas en inglés), u otras agencias federales, pero agregó: “Sin embargo, protegeremos, y de manera muy poderosa, todos y cada uno de los edificios federales que están siendo atacados por estos lunáticos, agitadores e insurrectos que reciben una importante paga”.
Trump señaló que, además de sus instrucciones a Noem, había ordenado al “ICE y/o la Patrulla Fronteriza a ser muy contundentes en esta protección de la propiedad del gobierno federal”.
El gobierno de Trump ya ha desplegado a la Guardia Nacional o a agentes federales de seguridad en varias áreas demócratas, como Washington, Los Ángeles, Chicago y Portland, Oregon. Pero la orden del sábado se produce en un momento en que la oposición a tales tácticas ha crecido, particularmente en la región de las Ciudades Gemelas de Minnesota.
El fiscal general de Minnesota, Keith Ellison, y los alcaldes de Minneapolis y St. Paul han impugnado un aumento en las operaciones federales de aplicación de la ley de inmigración en esas ciudades, argumentando que el DHS viola protecciones constitucionales.
Una jueza federal determinó que no detendrá las operaciones de aplicación de la ley mientras el juicio sigue su curso. Las autoridades estatales y locales habían buscado una orden rápida para detener la acción de aplicación de la ley o limitar su alcance. Los abogados del Departamento de Justicia han calificado la demanda de “legalmente frívola”.
El estado, y particularmente Minneapolis, ha estado en tensión después de que dos personas, Renee Good el 7 de enero y Alex Pretti el 24 del mismo mes, fueran abatidas por agentes federales en la ciudad. Miles de personas han salido a las calles para protestar contra la acción federal en Minnesota y en todo el país.
El zar fronterizo de Trump, Tom Homan, ha sugerido que la administración podría reducir el número de agentes migratorios en Minnesota, pero solo si los funcionarios estatales y locales cooperan. El presidente envió a Homan a Minneapolis tras los asesinatos de Good y Pretti, lo que parece indicar su disposición a aliviar las tensiones en Minnesota.
___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
NBA suspends Philadelphia 76ers’ Paul George for 25 games for violating anti-drug policy
PHILADELPHIA — Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers was suspended for 25 games for violating the terms of the NBA’s anti-drug program, the league announced Saturday.
The NBA did not disclose the nature of the violation or the substance that was involved, and George released a statement to ESPN saying he took something that was “improper.”
“Over the past few years, I’ve discussed the importance of mental health, and in the course of recently seeking treatment for an issue of my own, I made the mistake of taking an improper medication,” George said in the statement released to the network.
He apologized to the team and its fans, saying he takes “full responsibility for my actions.”
The 25-game suspension, by terms of the agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association, indicates that this was a first violation by George. He will begin serving the suspension Saturday when the 76ers host the New Orleans Pelicans.
The suspension will cost George — a nine-time All-Star — roughly $11.7 million of his $51.7 million salary, or about $469,691.72 for each of the 25 games missed. Some of that forfeited money will turn into a credit and put the 76ers closer to getting out of the luxury tax; they would be about $1.3 million over that line when factoring in the money George isn’t getting.
George is expected to be eligible to return on March 25, when the 76ers play host to the Chicago Bulls. The 76ers will have 10 games remaining in the regular season at that point.
The Sixers entered Saturday at 26-21, sixth in the Eastern Conference. They are 16-11 when George plays, 10-10 when he does not.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse declined ahead of Saturday’s game to discuss details of the conversation he had with George after the suspension was announced. Nurse said he hadn’t noticed any personal issues with George, even as mental health concerns were addressed in the statement.
“I think he’s been fine,” Nurse said. “Really fun to coach. Really good teammate. His teammates really like him. Showing some great leadership.”
George has averaged 16 points in 27 games this season for the Sixers, with that scoring average third-highest on the team behind Tyrese Maxey (29.4) and Joel Embiid (25.7). He had one of his best games of the season earlier this week, a 32-point outburst fueled by nine 3-pointers in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
George, 35, signed a four-year, $212 million in free agency ahead of the 2024 season. But his first year in Philly was marred by knee and adductor injuries that resulted in the forward having one of the worst years of his NBA career.
George averaged 16.2 points in just 41 games, easily his lowest scoring average in a full season since he averaged 12.1 points for the Indiana Pacers in his second NBA season.
“I think there’s been a lot of circumstances that have been really unfortunate,” Nurse said. “I also feel like he’s played pretty well this year. Borderline very well, considering he’s played such a critical role for us. Kind of slotted in like a really good role player on this particular team. He’s done what we’ve need him to do.”
Last season was so miserable that George called his first year in Philly “rock bottom” over the course of his career.
It’s certainly not any better now.
“As with all our players, dealing with this kind of stuff, you care about them,” Nurse said. “We’re to help him. The organization is in any way possible. And try to get past it as soon as we can, get through it the best way we can, and then go from there.”
George had surgery in July on his left knee after he was injured during a workout and missed the first 12 games of this season.
George and two-time NBA scoring champion Embiid had been healthy enough this season to keep the Sixers in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Maxey blossomed into an All-Star starter and a strong rookie season from No. 3 draft pick VJ Edgecombe had the Sixers hopeful they could make some noise in the playoffs.
With the Thursday trade deadline approaching, George’s suspension could have a profound impact on what the Sixers do as they make a playoff push.
The 76ers will go through the deadline while they are on a five-game West Coast trip that starts Monday in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
“You get the punch to the gut, but listen, me, I’ve got to lead the charge here,” Nurse said. “We’ve got to get fighting and we’ve got to get to work.”
Reynolds reported from Miami.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/31/paul-george-philadelphia-76ers-suspended/
US Warns Iran Over Weekend Live Fire Drills Close To American Forces
US Warns Iran Over Weekend Live Fire Drills Close To American Forces
Iran’s military starting Thursday issued a warning to ships at sea that it planned to run a drill starting this weekend which is to include live firing in the Strait of Hormuz, potentially disrupting traffic through a waterway which sees 20% of all the world’s oil pass through it.
This prompted a US warning in response, given US forces are also in the region – but quite a bit further away. On Iran’s two-day live-fire naval exercise, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it will not tolerate any unsafe behavior which threats US forces, and somewhat awkwardly called on IRGC forces to operate professionally.
“We will not tolerate unsafe IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) actions including overflight of U.S. military vessels engaged in flight operations, low-altitude or armed overflight of U.S. military assets when intentions are unclear, highspeed boat approaches on a collision course with U.S. military vessels, or weapons trained at U.S. forces,” CENTCOM said in its statement Friday.
“US forces acknowledge Iran’s right to operate professionally in international airspace and waters,” it added, and noted that “any unsafe and unprofessional behavior near U.S. forces, regional partners or commercial vessels increases risks of collision, escalation, and destabilization.”
Meanwhile the US forces build-up continues in the region:
A U.S. Navy destroyer made a port visit to the southern Israeli city of Eilat on Friday. The USS Delbert D. Black is one of six U.S. destroyers now in the Middle East, along with an aircraft carrier and three other combat ships.
China and Russia have just sent a big, resounding message to Washington in dispatching their own naval assets which have been sailing near Iranian vessels over the last several days – though this appeared for a prior, pre-planned joint drill.
China has dispatched several advanced destroyers toward Iranian waters, as Iran, Russia, and China prepare to hold joint naval drills near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.
Follow: https://t.co/7Dg3b41hTx pic.twitter.com/VtAp4fF8V8
— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) January 30, 2026
According to the details of this prior joint exercise:
Ahead of the exercises, Iran issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), warning of live-fire military activity in the airspace surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the notice, military firing activity was conducted between January 27 and 29 within a five-nautical-mile radius. The airspace—from ground level up to 25,000 feet—was designated as restricted and hazardous throughout the duration of the maneuvers.
In parallel, the three countries just deepened trilateral ties:
In a dramatic geopolitical development… Iran, China and Russia formally signed a comprehensive strategic pact, marking one of the most consequential shifts in 21st-century international relations. While the full text of the agreement is being released in stages by the three governments, state media in Tehran, Beijing and Moscow have acknowledged the ceremony and described it as a cornerstone for a new multipolar order.
The pact comes against the backdrop of decades of growing cooperation between these three states. Iran and Russia earlier concluded a 20-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty designed to deepen economic, political, and defense ties, and to blunt the impact of Western sanctions — a treaty that was signed in January 2025 and entered into force last year. Meanwhile, Iran and China have been bound by a 25-year cooperation agreement first signed in 2021, aimed at expanding trade, infrastructure, and energy integration.
Source: Google Maps/Business Insider
Still, none of this has deterred the ongoing Pentagon build-up in the Middle East with an eye on Iran. One thing the White House should be able to perceive, however, is that any military action against Tehran is going to clearly be much more complex, and harder, than some one-off mission in Venezuela.
The potential for massive blow-back and for things to go seriously awry is much greater in the case of the Islamic Republic.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 01/31/2026 – 19:15
From Elon Musk to the former Prince Andrew, a who’s who of powerful men are named in Epstein files
NEW YORK — From tech titans to Wall Street power brokers and British royalty, a who’s who of powerful men make appearances in the huge trove of documents released Friday by the Justice Department in connection with its investigations of Jeffrey Epstein.
Many have denied having close ties to the late financier, or at least having anything to do with his alleged sexual abuse of girls and young women that led to his arrest on sex trafficking charges.
None have been charged with a crime connected to the investigation. Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019. Yet some of them maintained friendships with Epstein, or developed them anew, even after he became known as a predator of young girls and registered sex offender.
Here’s a primer on some of the notable names in the Epstein files:
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
The man formerly known as Britain’s Prince Andrew has long been dogged by questions about his relationship with Epstein, including allegations from the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre that she was trafficked by Epstein and instructed to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor when she was 17.
The former prince has repeatedly denied that it happened, but his brother, King Charles III, still stripped him of his royal titles late last year, including the right to be called a prince and the Duke of York.
Mountbatten-Windsor’s name appears at least several hundred times in Friday’s document release, including in Epstein’s private emails.
Among the correspondence is an invitation for Epstein to dine at Buckingham Palace, Epstein’s offer to introduce Mountbatten-Windsor to a 26-year-old Russian woman, and photos that appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over an unidentified woman lying on the floor.
Elon Musk
The billionaire Tesla founder turns up at least a few times in Friday’s document release, notably in email exchanges in 2012 and 2013 in which he discussed visiting Epstein’s infamous Caribbean island compound.
But it’s not immediately clear if the island visits took place. Spokespersons for Musk’s companies, Tesla and X, didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday or Saturday.
Musk has maintained that he repeatedly turned down the disgraced financier’s overtures. “Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED,” he posted on X in 2025.
Steven Tisch
The New York Giants co-owner is mentioned more than 400 times in the files released Friday. Correspondence between the two shows Epstein offered to connect Tisch to numerous women over the years.
In one 2013 email exchange with the subject line “Ukrainian girl,” Epstein encouraged Tisch to contact a particular woman, whose physical beauty he praised in crude terms.
“Pro or civilian?” Tisch asked in reply.
Tisch, a scion of a powerful New York family that founded the Loews Corporation, has acknowledged knowing Epstein but denied ever going to his infamous Caribbean island.
“We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments,” said Tisch, who also won an Academy Award in 1994 for producing “Forrest Gump.” “As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”
Howard Lutnick
President Donald Trump’s commerce secretary visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island with his family on at least one occasion, records released Friday show.
That appears to contradict prior statements he’s made claiming he cut ties with the disgraced financier, who he’s called “gross,” decades ago.
But emails show Lutnick and his wife accepted an invitation to Little St. James in the U.S. Virgin Islands in December 2012 and planned to arrive by yacht with their children.
The former chairman of Newmark, a major commercial real estate firm, also had drinks on another occasion in 2011 with Epstein and corresponded with him about the construction of a building across the street from both of their homes.
The Commerce Department, in a statement, said Lutnick had “limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing.”
Sergey Brin
The billionaire Google co-founder made plans to meet with Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell at his townhouse in New York years before he was publicly accused of sexually abusing underage girls, emails show.
In one exchange in 2003, Maxwell invited him to join her at a screening of the Renee Zellweger film “Down with Love” in New York.
She followed up a few weeks later to invite him to a “happily casual and relaxed” dinner at Epstein’s house. Brin offered to bring along Google’s then-CEO Eric Schmidt.
Spokespersons for Google didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday.
Steve Bannon
The one-time adviser to Trump exchanged hundreds of friendly texts with Epstein, some sent months before his 2019 arrest and jailhouse suicide.
The two discussed politics, travel and a documentary Bannon was said to be planning that would help salvage Epstein’s reputation.
One 2018 exchange, for example, focused on Trump’s threats at the time to oust Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. In a 2019 message, Bannon asked Epstein if he could supply his plane to pick him up in Rome.
Bannon hasn’t responded to emails seeking comment.
Miroslav Lajcak
A national security adviser to the Slovakian prime minister, Lajcak resigned Saturday after his past communications with Epstein appeared in Friday’s document release.
Opposition parties and a nationalist partner in Fico’s governing coalition had called for him to step down.
Lajcak, a former Slovak foreign minister and a onetime president of the U.N. General Assembly, has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but was photographed meeting with Epstein in the years between his initial release from jail and his subsequent indictment in 2019 on sex trafficking charges.
He said his correspondence with Epstein were part of his diplomatic duties.
Richard Branson
Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Group Limited, invited Epstein to his private island in 2013, telling him in an email: “Any time you’re in the area would love to see you. As long as you bring your harem!”
Besides discussing Epstein visiting Branson’s Necker Island, in the British Virgin Islands, the two exchanged messages about philanthropy, Epstein’s ideas for a “disruptive” financial system and a “social good currency.”
In one email, in 2011, Epstein said he offered Branson’s staff the use of his helicopter to transport an accident victim in the Virgin Islands.
In a Sept. 11, 2013 correspondence, Branson suggested Epstein could boost his public image if he could get Bill Gates to say “you’ve been a brilliant adviser to him, that you slipped up many years ago by sleeping with a 17 1/2 year old woman and were punished for it, that you’ve more than learnt your lesson and have done nothing that’s against the law since.”
A Branson spokesperson told the British news outlet the Independent that Branson’s “harem” comment referred to adult members of Epstein’s staff.
Branson later decided to sever ties with Epstein, the spokesperson said, after learning more about the “serious allegations” that had been made against him.
“Had they had the full picture and information, there would have been no contact whatsoever,” the spokesperson said.
Associated Press reporters from around the world contributed to this story.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/31/elon-musk-prince-andrew-men-named-epstein-files/
