Stories Speak Volumes: Jan 18-Jan 23
A Round-Up of National and International News
Compiled by
There are so many stories making up the mosaic of national/international news that we can’t cover them all every week. The biggest stories now seem to be: Israel and Iran, the Trump presidency (lawfare and judges), immigration (migrants and illegals), wars, weaponization of government (the deep state) against Trump and conservatives, our nation’s debt, massive inflation, climate change controversy and related expenses of government, industry attempting to address these issues, the Chinese threat, national security, abortion, taxpayer cuts, Ukraine peace, and hatred and violence against Christians. Here are just a few:
Minnesota Church Stormed by Far-Left Agitators
Jan. 19: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
Former CNN host Don Lemon suffered a public meltdown after a calm, articulate churchgoer dismantled Lemon’s gaslighting narrative following a far-left disruption of a Minnesota worship service. Radical anti-ICE agitators stormed Cities Church, interrupting Christians in the middle of worship.
Instead of condemning the mob’s conduct or defending the constitutional right to religious assembly, Lemon inserted himself into the chaos—live-streaming the scene and aggressively confronting congregants who were already shaken by the intrusion.
Lemon attempted to pivot the conversation into a rehearsed talking point about ICE enforcement, claiming warrantless raids, mass detentions of citizens, and a lack of criminality among those apprehended. When the churchgoer contextualized enforcement as a corrective response to years of border chaos, Lemon grew visibly agitated. The exchange escalated when Lemon repeatedly interrupted, insisted on his own authority, and chased the man as he attempted to disengage.
Don Lemon Lectures Pastor on First Amendment After Far-Left Agitators Harass Christians and Shut Down Worship
Jan. 19: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
Don Lemon attempted to lecture a Christian pastor on the First Amendment after a mob of far-left agitators stormed a church in Minneapolis, disrupting a worship service and intimidating congregants.
The confrontation unfolded as Lemon confronted Pastor Jonathan Parnell, whose congregation had just endured harassment and interruption while gathered for prayer and worship.
Lemon attempted to lecture the pastor on the First Amendment, bizarrely invoking “freedom of speech” and “freedom of assembly” to justify the mob’s actions inside a church sanctuary.
DOJ Now Investigating Radical Anti-ICE Mob for Potential Criminal Violations Following Minneapolis Church Disruption
Jan. 19: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
The disruption has now triggered a full federal investigation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on X: “President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship. The Department of Justice has launched a full investigation into the despicable incident that took place earlier today at a church in Minnesota.”
Attorney Harmeet Dhillon responded immediately: “ON IT! @AGPamBondi and a team of prosecutors and investigators are hard at work tonight. We will not rest until we are able to deliver justice.”
White House says Walz, Frey Incited Chaos After Anti-ICE Mob Storms Minneapolis Church
Jan. 19: Fox News by Emma Colton
The White House slammed a mob of anti-ICE agitators who reportedly stormed into a Twin Cities church Sunday, accusing local left-wing leaders — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey — of inciting the chaos.
“There is no low these radical leftists won’t stoop to,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital Monday morning. “Jacob Frey and Tim Walz have whipped these rioters into a frenzy and turned them loose to wreak havoc on Minneapolis. Frey and Walz should be ashamed for inciting such chaos, but the Trump Administration will continue enforcing the law,” she added.
Schweizer’s ‘The Invisible Coup’ Hits #1 On Amazon Day Before Release
Jan. 19: Breitbart by Rebecca Mansour
A day ahead of its official release, Peter Schweizer’s The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon rocketed to #1 on Amazon across all book categories and genres. On Sunday, President Donald Trump hailed Schweizer’s new manuscript as “a great new book” that is “both vitally important and very interesting.” Trump added: “BUY THIS BOOK!”
Publishing giant HarperCollins says that Breitbart News Senior Contributor and Government Accountability Institute (GAI) President Peter Schweizer is “the bestselling investigative journalist of our time,” and calls the book–the culmination of “years of forensic fieldwork and a trove of confidential documents and intercepted communications.” The book is said to contain dozens of revelations about how immigration has been weaponized against American security and elections.
GOP Probes How Democrats Use Illegals and Refugees to Rig Elections
Jan. 19: Breitbart by John Nolte
Republicans in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have put the pieces together and say they will launch investigations into how Democrats use illegal aliens and refugees to commit election fraud. The massive Somali welfare fraud in Democrat-run Minnesota has opened a lot of eyes.
Phase One: Import millions of illegal aliens and refugees…
Phase Two: Move those millions into blue states to increase their population and by extension the electoral votes that determine presidential elections and congressional seats…
Phase Three – Give those illegals and refugees welfare…
Phase Four: Allow these illegals and refugees to commit massive welfare fraud with much of that money finding its way into Democrat campaign coffers and left-wing NGOs…
Obama’s Hidden Foreign Election Network: The Radical Foreign Groups That Helped Elect Obama
Jan. 20: Breitbart by Nick Gilbertson
In his new book, Breitbart News Senior Contributor and bestselling author Peter Schweizer exposes how radical foreign groups helped elect former President Barack Obama in 2008 and how this network remains a part of the Democratic Party machine today.
Schweizer focuses on one group in particular, the radical Salvadoran political party, Farabundo Martí National Liberation (FMLN) Front, which evolved into a party after beginning as a Marxist guerrilla group in El Salvador.
Thousands of immigrants linked to foreign radical movements, including the FMLN, “staked out important positions in American labor unions and became involved in American political campaigns, whether they were US citizens or not,” beginning in the early 2000s, Schweizer details.
University President Warns That a Quarter of American Colleges and Universities Will Close in Coming Years
Jan. 20: Gateway Pundit by Mike LaChance
The president of Brandeis University in Massachusetts recently warned that up to a quarter of American colleges and universities could close permanently in the coming years. This is not necessarily a bad thing and is almost unavoidable.
Higher education in the United States is on a path that is not sustainable. It has gotten to the point where almost no one can afford to attend college without going into massive debt. People emerge from college with this debt and unless they have studied to be a doctor or lawyer, their job prospects are far from guaranteed. Plus, colleges have moved so far to the radical left that they are completely out of step with average Americans. If they end up closing, it is by their own doing.
Indiana is eliminating over 400 low-enrollment degree programs at public universities and shifting those resources to support trade education and school choice expansion. The changes reflect a statewide strategy to align education funding with job market needs and reduce spending on degrees with limited career value.
The state is facing a significant shortage of skilled labor, prompting lawmakers to prioritize training in high-demand fields such as electrical work, automotive repair, and other technical trades. Community colleges and certification programs are receiving increased support as faster, more cost-effective alternatives to four-year degrees.
Kiev Mayor Says 600,000 Have Left Cold and Dark Ukrainian Capital in January
Jan. 21: Gateway Pundit by Paul Serran
Vitali Klitschko, the Ukrainian capital’s mayor and former boxing champion, has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is driving the city towards a ‘humanitarian catastrophe’. The mayor again advised residents to ‘leave if they can’ as emergency crews try to restore power to the city.
“Temperatures have fallen as low as minus 18C during a cold snap projected to last at least two more weeks. This month 600,000 people have already fled the capital, home to more than 3 million,” Klitschko said.
‘The situation is critical with basic services — heating, water, electricity. Right now, 5,600 apartment buildings are without heating,’ Klitschko told The Times. Unable to keep it at the right temperature, the authorities had been forced to drain Kiev’s large centralized heating and water system to prevent water turning to ice and bursting pipes as it expands, he added.”
The capital had been struggling with rolling blackouts and minimal heating since an earlier Russian attack on January 9, timed for the start of the coldest winter period in more than a decade. Then, in the early hours of Tuesday, Kremlin forces launched some 470 drones, 47 cruise missiles and one ballistic missile at Ukraine. The attack reversed repairs to the energy grid carried out since the earlier strike. In both instances Russian ballistic missiles hit a thermal power plant in Kiev, Klitschko said. ‘The Russians want to make a humanitarian catastrophe in our hometown, to make people freeze during the winter,’ he said.”
Trump Lays Out Vision For ‘Strong and Unified West’ At World Economic Forum
Jan. 21: Breitbart by Nick Gilbertson
President Donald Trump expressed his vision for “a strong and unified West” at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday and called on Europe to abandon the culture it has cultivated over the past decade.
Trump said European policies in recent history have been “destructive,” leading to “lower economic growth, lower standards of living, lower birth rates, more socially disruptive migration, more vulnerability to hostile foreign adversaries, and much, much smaller militaries.”
The president contended that energy, immigration, trade, and economic growth must be the top focuses of those who desire “a strong and united West.” Trump declared the United States wants “strong allies, not seriously weakened ones.”
Minnesota Student: “Just Because You’re Yelling Doesn’t Mean You’re Winning the Argument!”
Jan. 21: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
The confrontation reportedly took place at Becker High School, where Dr. Heather Abrahamson, who has taught at Becker for 32 years and holds a Ph.D. in social studies curriculum, erupted during a heated exchange over the death of anti-ICE protester Renee Good, 37.
According to footage shared by Libs of TikTok, Abrahamson aggressively accused ICE of being “murderers” and claimed federal agent Jonathan Ross used unjustified deadly force.
Abrahamson has publicly urged political activism against her own school district, accusing leaders of “silencing educators” and demanding social-media pressure campaigns against elected school board members.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Says There Are “Disturbing Tapes” Of Minnesota AG Keith Ellison Taking Money to Stop Investigations into Somali Fraud
Jan. 13: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has gone public with explosive allegations against radical leftist Attorney General Keith Ellison. Last Friday, the U.S. Treasury Secretary confirmed that federal authorities are aggressively “following the money” amid explosive fraud investigations tied to Minnesota’s sprawling Somali-linked financial networks.
According to Bessent, the Treasury Department has launched multiple enforcement actions focused on suspicious financial flows between Minnesota residents and businesses and overseas destinations, including East Africa, as the federal government intensifies its immigration and fraud crackdown in the state.
Minnesota Cities Church Stormed by Anti-ICE Agitators Releases Statement
Jan. 21: RedState by Nick Arama
“Jesus is real. When we gather on Sunday mornings to worship him, we are gladly giving ourselves to what is most central and sacred in our life together. ‘We worship Jesus’ stretches as the main banner of our church, alongside two other pursuits that flow from it: loving one another and seeking the good of the Twin Cities.
“On Sunday, January 18, a group of agitators jarringly disrupted our worship gathering. They accosted members of our congregation, frightened children, and created a scene marked by intimidation and threat. Such conduct is shameful, unlawful, and will not be tolerated. We welcome respectful dialogue about present issues, and about how the realness of Jesus, as revealed in the Bible, provides the only final answers to the world’s most complex and intractable problems.
“Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, lived, died, and rose again for the rescue of all who put their faith in him. He offers a love that transcends cultures, borders, policies, and politics. As those who have been loved and rescued by him, we will not shrink from worshiping Jesus, nor will we stop ‘teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah’ (Acts 5:42). Church buildings are meant to be places of peace and solace, where worshipers can hear and live out this message. We therefore call on local, state, and national leaders to protect this fundamental right.”
‘We Mexicans Are Reclaiming Our Territory’: Schweizer Reveals Mexican Government Trying To ‘Take Back’ USA
Jan. 21: Breitbart by Katherine Hamilton
On Wednesday’s “Alex Marlow Show,” Breitbart News senior contributor and author Peter Schweizer discussed Mexico: “This is from a government report in December of 2024 by Mexican President Sheinbaum, one of her closest aides, quote, ‘We already know that the Mexican population in the United States reaches 39.9 million. We Mexicans are reclaiming our territory.’ … Now it might be easy to dismiss this as just kind of hyperbole by these officials, but they actually do have an apparatus in the United States that is working towards this. They have a huge network of consulates in this country.”
Schweizer, who has written several New York Times bestsellers exposing political corruption and dirty dealings, lays out how Mexico sends anti-capitalist textbooks through more than 50 consulates in the United States, which far exceeds the number of other countries. The effort, he writes, can be traced to the political ruling class’s belief in “Reconquista,” or “the reconquering of the American Southwest…territories lost to the United States in the nineteenth century.”
Schweizer writes that the Mexican government sends approximately one million textbooks into the United States each year to “teach its version of American history and other subjects.” He notes that these textbooks are the same controversial textbooks that students in Mexico use, which offer a “decolonial” perspective on all topics. The books are inspired by Brazilian Marxist Paulo Freire, who authored Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
FBI Arrests Two Leftists Involved in Attack on St. Paul Church
Jan. 22: Gateway Pundit by Cullen Linebarger and Cristina Laila
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced this morning that they had arrested two of the key organizers who orchestrated an attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday with assistance from Don Lemon, a former CNN television journalist.
From Bondi: “Minutes ago at my direction, @HSI_HQ and @FBI agents executed an arrest in Minnesota. So far, we have arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong, who allegedly played a key role in organizing the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Armstrong was charged with Conspiracy Against Rights, a federal crime that carries up to ten years in prison.
DHS Chief Kristi Noem said. “She is being charged with a federal crime under 18 USC 241. Religious freedom is the bedrock of the United States – there is no first amendment right to obstruct someone from practicing their religion.”
William Kelly, the far-left agitator who stormed a St. Paul church and harassed parishioners on Sunday, was arrested after taunting the DOJ to come and get him. Kelly, a well-known leftist agitator, charged into Cities Church on Sunday as Don Lemon livestreamed the crime. He got in the face of parishioners and shouted down the pastor.
Kelly later compared storming the church to Jesus flipping over tables in the Temple.
The Justice Department has charged a total of eight people involved in storming Cities Church.
Conservative Journalist Kaitlin Bennett Charged, Fined for Interviewing Democrats in Public — While Don Lemon Storms Churches with Zero Consequences
Jan. 22: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
Conservative journalist Kaitlin Bennett revealed this week that she was charged with a federal crime and fined by the National Park Service in St. Augustine for the so-called offense of asking Democrats questions on public property.
According to Bennett, federal agents targeted her while she was conducting on-the-street interviews, a form of journalism protected by the First Amendment. Despite being on public land, Bennett says she was cited and punished simply for engaging in political speech that the Left finds inconvenient.
Now, contrast this with the treatment afforded to left-wing provocateurs like former CNN host Don Lemon. Just days ago, Lemon was caught on camera embedded with a mob of anti-ICE radicals who stormed Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, during a Sunday service. The protesters disrupted worship, harassed parishioners—including children—and accused the pastor of ties to immigration enforcement.
Trump Sues JPMorgan Chase And CEO Jamie Dimon For $5B Over Alleged ‘Political’ Debanking
Jan. 22: Fox Business News by Brooke Singman
President Donald Trump is suing JPMorgan Chase and its CEO Jamie Dimon in a $5 billion lawsuit filed Thursday, accusing the financial institution of debanking him for political reasons.
The president’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, filed the lawsuit Thursday morning in Florida state court in Miami on behalf of the president and several of his hospitality companies.
Brito quotes JPMorgan’s code of conduct, which states that the bank operates “with the highest level of integrity and ethical conduct.”
Trump had been a customer of JPMorgan for decades, and he and his affiliated entities “have transacted hundreds of millions of dollars” through JPMorgan Chase, according to the lawsuit.
Trump’s lawyer said Feb. 19, 2021, was the day that “forever altered the dynamic of the parties’ relationship,” when the bank, allegedly “without warning or provocation,” notified Trump and his entities that several bank accounts they controlled, were beneficiaries of, and actively used to transact “would be closed just two months later, on April 19, 2021.”
The lawsuit goes on to allege that JPMorgan Chase and Dimon have “unlawfully and unjustifiably published some or all of their names, including the names of President Trump, the Trump Organization with its affiliated entities, and the Trump family, on a blacklist.”
Director Kash Patel Fires FBI Agents Linked to Lawfare Against Trump
Jan. 23: Breitbart by Bradley Jaye
FBI Director Kash Patel has purged his department of agents linked to the Biden administration’s efforts to jail the Democrat former president’s electoral foe, Donald Trump.
Patel forced out field office leaders and other senior agents connected to the two criminal investigations of Trump, including the special agent in charge in Atlanta, the acting assistant director in charge of the New York field office, and the former special agent in charge in New Orleans who had recently moved on to another job, MS Now reported and two senior administration officials confirmed to Breitbart News.
As many as six agents in Miami were forced out over their connection to the FBI’s raid of Mar-a-Lago, conducted by over 30 agents accompanied by CNN cameras.
President Trump Announces Large Fleet of US Warships Moving Towards Iran
Jan. 23: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
President Trump on Thursday said he is sending a “massive armada” toward Iran amid the ongoing political uprising and the Iranian regime’s murder of its citizens.
Iranian state TV said on Wednesday that 3,117 people have been killed since December 27. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also issued a threat to the United States that the Islamic Republic will be “firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack.”
At Annual March for Life – J. D. Vance Announces Fraud Investigations into Planned Parenthood Affiliates
Jan. 23: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
Vice President J.D. Vance spoke to a massive crowd of pro-life Americans today at the annual March for Life in Washington DC.
President Trump sent in a video that he recorded earlier. The US President is currently in Davos Switzerland for the World Economic Forum.
Vice President Vance told the crowd on Friday that the Trump administration was investigating Planned Parenthood affiliates for fraud. This news ignited the crowd.
Mike Hernandez is co-founder of the Citizens Journal–Ventura County’s online news service and writes for CitizensJournal.net and MountainTopMedia.com. He is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor, writer of “Prayer Over News Daily” and edits the weekly “Stories Speak Volumes” and other columns. Mr. Hernandez mentors citizen journalists with trainings held every other month (on Saturdays at Shasta Bible College and online) and can be contacted at MikeHernandezMedia.com.