More children die from cold exposure in Gaza; Death toll climbs in Iran; Minnesota and the Twin Cities sue DHS to halt ICE’s “federal invasion”
Drop Site Daily: January 13, 2026
Drop Site Daily: January 13, 2026
As President Trump threatens Iran, Venezuela, Mexico, Greenland and more, renowned historian Alfred McCoy says the United States is “an empire in decline,” following a predictable pattern of militarism abroad and political instability at home as it loses power and influence on the world stage. “American politics become increasingly contorted and irrational,” says McCoy. “I think the thing to do is to realize that we are an empire in decline, … and it will continue for another decade or two, until American power finally slips away.” McCoy just published his latest book, Cold War on Five Continents: A Global History of Empire and Espionage, on the impact of U.S.-Soviet imperial proxy wars in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Iran has said it’s ready for “war” or dialogue after President Trump said the U.S. was considering “very strong options” to intervene if Iran’s security forces kill anti-government protesters in an ongoing crackdown. Vali Nasr, professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, says the U.S. “can wage full-scale war on Iran — which President Trump does not seem to be eager to do — or it can hope to squeeze Iran economically in order to create political unrest in Iran.” This comes as at least 648 people have been killed since protests broke out in late December, according to the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights, and over 10,000 people have been arrested. Iranian officials say the number of dead could be as high as 2,000.
Activists in Los Angeles are demanding justice for Keith Porter Jr., an African American 43-year-old father of two, who was fatally shot by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve. His family is demanding transparency in the investigation into his killing. “When he walked in, he brought joy,” says Porter’s cousin Jsané Tyler. “He always had a laugh, a joke, a smile.” Community organizers have called for the arrest of the ICE officer who killed Porter, but local government officials have reportedly told activists they have no intention of investigating Porter’s killer. “The community is going to have to mobilize,” says Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles.
The main drivers of the emissions increases were commercial buildings and the power sector, according to estimates by the Rhodium Group, a research firm.
The project was 90% complete before the Interior Department ordered a pause on several offshore wind projects last month.
The CEO of the top global manufacturer of the equipment spoke to Semafor.