| THE BIG STORY
Iran’s “revenge” over Qassem Soleimani is likely to include cyber attacks
Last week, President Donald Trump authorized an airstrike in Iraq that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Tensions between the US and Iran have since soared, while huge crowds attended Solemani’s funeral in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Soleimani was behind Iran’s Middle East military operations as head of the elite Quds Force, and his influence was felt throughout the region. Because of his central role, it’s hard to predict the consequences of his death. Iran’s government has vowed revenge — and it has one of the world’s most active state-sponsored cybersecurity programs. It’s possible that hackers will try to strike critical US infrastructure.
According to the US, Iran’s sophisticated hackers have carried out attacks targeting several American financial institutions including the New York Stock Exchange, and even broke into the computer system of a dam north of New York City in 2013.
Meanwhile, with Iran’s threats looming, the US said it has paused its fight against ISIS.
Congress has repeatedly ceded its authority to authorize wars over to the executive branch, but Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine introduced a resolution to force Trump to cease hostilities with Iran until military actions are approved by Congress.
You should also know: Iranian-born US citizens and residents were stopped and questioned at the US border for hours after returning from a concert in Canada.
The big picture:
The strike that killed Soleimani is a perfect distillation of Trump’s foreign policy, writes Hayes Brown: Trump wants to be feared and respected globally for as low a cost as possible. The killing of Soleimani shows yet again that he has no idea how to achieve either.
Tom Brenner / Reuters IMPEACHMENT TODAY He Really Is 100% That Mitch. Oh, remember that ol' impeachment thing? The trial is still on hold because Nancy Pelosi refuses to transmit the impeachment articles. Plus: Mitch McConnell, Trump's biggest ally in the upcoming trial. Listen and subscribe. SNAPSHOTS A woman left a bar with two men and texted her friend, “I feel in trouble.” Her body was found weeks later. Paighton Houston, 29, was last seen leaving an Alabama bar with two men on Dec. 20. She later texted her co-worker, “I don't know these people and I feel in trouble.” Her remains were discovered Friday in a shallow grave, and police are still investigating.
A mom will have more time with her baby after a court ordered a hospital to keep her on life support. Last week, a Texas lower court ruled that the hospital could take 11-month-old Tinslee Lewis, who has been in the intensive care unit since her birth, off life support. Then an appeals court ordered the hospital not to withdraw life-sustaining treatment for Tinslee until it makes a decision on the case.
Instagram deactivated the account of a nude model who raised thousands for Australia fire relief. Kaylen Ward, an LA-based model and online sex worker, tweeted that anyone who sent proof that they'd donated to a list of Australian charities would get a nude photo in their DMs. She raised more than $500,000 — and Instagram shut down her account.
The 2020 Golden Globes took place last night. It was a big night for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and the war drama 1917. Here are all the winners. In one of the night’s most political speeches, Michelle Williams addressed abortion rights. A bunch of celebrities talked about Australia’s bushfire crisis.
A GAME OF EXPECTATIONS Knives Out and the revenge of the pretty good movie If you go see Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, chances are you’ll find the theater pretty busy. Five weeks after the film came out, it’s still doing well in the box office. What’s going on here?
In a time of sequels, why has Knives Out — an old-school whodunnit, unrelated to any established franchise or source material — done so well? Anne Helen Petersen writes about the film’s incredible word-of-mouth buzz.
As Petersen writes, “The sort of word of mouth that sells out theaters five weeks into a film’s release often has very little to do with critics and everything to do with people telling their friends and family that a movie is actually good ...That's what Knives Out is: a pretty good movie that’s exceeding people’s expectations because their expectations for the movies are so damn low.”
(For what it’s worth, I too would recommend Knives Out — it’s a pretty good movie).
WAR AND MEMES The threat of World War III has become a huge meme and no one knows how to feel about it
It’s an anxious time in general, but the escalating tensions between the US and Iran led some to dramatically predict World War III, and then make memes about it. Now, war memes are going viral because of course they are — and no one knows how to feel about this.
Is it insensitive comedy in a tense time, or a healthy coping strategy? You decide. Here’s a war meme.
Be mindful not to stretch yourself thin — keep some reserves for yourself, Elamin P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (Monthly memberships are available worldwide). 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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