Iran directly attacks:\u00a0<\/strong>On Monday, Iran took credit<\/a> for hitting and destroying an Israeli spy base with missiles. This is significant because it’s the first time since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel that Iran has “publicly said it’s attacked an Israeli target,” though Iran has, of course, been working behind the scenes to back groups like Hezbollah, which has been exchanging fire with Israeli troops on the border between Israel and Lebanon, and the Houthis, which are now at the receiving end of U.S. and British strikes after the terrorist group targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea.<\/p>\n

Iran’s actions were “in response to the\u00a0Israeli assassination<\/a> of a number of commanders of the IRGC and the resistance front”\u2014meaning Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis\u2014reports<\/a> Tasnim, an Iranian news agency.<\/p>\n

Things are heating up in the Middle East more broadly. Overnight, Iran launched an airstrike<\/a> on what it claims is a Sunni militant cluster operating in Pakistan. The government of Pakistan reports that at least two children were killed and called Iran’s actions an “unprovoked violation of [Pakistan’s] airspace.”<\/p>\n

And Yemeni Houthis struck an American ship, the\u00a0Gibraltar Eagle<\/em>, on Monday. “The Yemeni armed forces consider all American and British ships and warships participating in the aggression against our country as hostile targets,” said<\/a> Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree. The United States is weighing<\/a> whether to re-designate the Houthis as a terrorist group following dozens of strikes<\/a> on commercial ships in the Red Sea (and retribution<\/a> for those attacks doled out by the U.S. and allies).<\/p>\n

Analyzing the Iowa caucuses:\u00a0<\/strong>Former President Donald Trump “showed striking weakness in suburban and urban areas,” reports<\/a>\u00a0Politico. “<\/em>So while the data show how Trump has managed to consolidate a majority of Republican support, it also reveals his relative vulnerability among suburban and highly educated voters\u2014raising questions about how he will win over a voting bloc that has long viewed him with skepticism and helped fuel his 2020 loss.”<\/p>\n

Still, Trump improved on his 2016 Iowa caucus showing in a major way. (If you recall, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz won the Iowa caucuses<\/a> eight years ago, with 27.6 percent of the vote compared to Trump’s 24.3 percent.) “Several dozen precincts gave Trump less than 10 percent of their caucus vote eight years ago; this year, he won 35 percent of the vote in those areas,” reports\u00a0Politico.<\/em><\/p>\n

Government shutdown?\u00a0<\/strong>Yesterday, the Senate moved forward a stopgap bill, which would temporarily stave off a government shutdown. (We’ve heard this one before, haven’t we?) “By a 68-to-13 vote, senators voted to take up the legislation, which would temporarily extend funding for some federal agencies until March 1 and for others through March 8,” reports<\/a> The New York Times<\/em>. “It would keep spending levels flat while lawmakers and aides hammer out the details of a $1.66 trillion deal reached between Speaker Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican, and Democrats.”<\/p>\n

Some right-wing members of Congress have voiced opposition to the spending bill, particularly the fact that it does not stipulate securing the border, forcing Johnson to seek support from Democrats.<\/p>\n