Greetings! Happy National Peanut Butter Day to those celebrating.

Let’s get into today’s top stories.

AI isn’t optional anymore—but coding isn’t required.

The AI Report gives business leaders the edge with daily insights, use cases, and implementation guides across ops, sales, and strategy.

Trusted by professionals at Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft.

👉 Get the newsletter and make smarter AI decisions.

Lead with AI—no coding needed

🇮🇷 Iran’s blackout can’t hide how wide protests spread. With the internet throttled, rumors fill the gap. The first spark hit Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on December 28th after the rial slid. By January 8th, unrest burst nationwide, officials conceded. Deputy Interior Minister Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian put it at 400+ cities. Exiled royal Reza Pahlavi urged Iranians to keep marching. Revolutionary Guard general Hossein Yekta mocked “small protests” in speeches. Amnesty International researcher Raha Bahreini warned of harsher sentencing. Human Rights Watch analyst Bahar Saba said forced confessions are back. Tehran says damage topped $125M, and the bill is still rising.

🇷🇺 Russia hit Ukraine as peace talks kept talking. A wave of Russian strikes hit Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa overnight. Ukrainian officials said at least 1 person died and 31 were wounded. A 9-year-old boy was among the injured, Ukraine’s General Staff said. Russia fired Iskander ballistic missiles and Iranian-made Shahed drones, Kyiv said. The blasts landed as American-led talks entered a second day in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ukraine sent Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and presidential chief Andriy Yermak. Russia sent Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and negotiator Kirill Dmitriev. American envoy Steve Witkoff pushed “compromise” in public comments. President Vladimir Putin kept bombing while the diplomats kept scheduling. The message was simple: negotiation, under fire, is still fire.

🧊 Winter Storm Fern iced airports into mass cancellations. Airlines pulled the plug early as ice chased schedules across the map. More than 9,000 flights were canceled through the weekend, tracking data showed. Over 6,000 were canceled for Sunday alone, and delays piled higher. Southwest, American, United, and Delta led the losses. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of “potentially catastrophic” ice. Roughly 140M people sat under storm alerts or warnings. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staged 300 generators and 600K blankets. Officials warned roads could turn deadly before snow even looks pretty. Travelers got a reminder that “rebooking” is modern prayer. Fern made the whole country wait on hold.

🧤 Subzero Minnesota rallied against immigration arrests. Thousands packed St. Paul streets in -14°F air, organizers said. Wind chills dropped near -34°F, turning breath into a siren. The chants targeted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and broader deportation policy. Protesters pointed to the January 7th shooting of activist Renee Good in Minneapolis. Good died, and the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. An independent autopsy is also being commissioned, the family said. Police said an ICE officer shot Good, and an investigation is ongoing. Organizers closed about 700 Twin Cities businesses in solidarity. Speakers framed it as a test of sanctuary and civil rights. Minnesota turned cold into a megaphone.

🏛️ Philadelphia sued after a slavery exhibit got pulled. The city filed suit over a removed slavery exhibit at Independence National Historical Park. Officials argue the exhibit was yanked under political pressure, not public need. The display included narration from former Senator Doug Wilder and actor Leslie Odom Jr. Mayor Cherelle Parker said history cannot be edited by executive mood swings. Park officials said exhibits shift for operational reasons, not ideology. The lawsuit names the National Park Service and the park’s superintendent. Philadelphia says the exhibit is core context for the Liberty Bell’s neighborhood. Lawyers want the exhibit restored and protected from future removals. The city is betting a courtroom beats a command memo. Tourists came for freedom, and got a lawsuit instead.

🗳️ Vance made abortion politics the rally’s headline. Vice President JD Vance took the stage at the March for Life in Washington. He credited President Donald Trump with reshaping the courts and rolling back access. Vance urged activists to “keep going,” framing restrictions as unfinished work. Supporters cheered a message built for courtroom wins and ballot fights. Critics called it government control dressed as morality. Organizers tied the moment to state-level bans and national proposals. The crowd blended prayer, protest, and partisan strategy. Vance positioned the administration as the movement’s enforcement arm. Democrats warned it is a rights rollback campaign with a podium. The rally proved the culture war never takes a snow day.

Help better understand our audience. Take this 1-minute survey here so we can provide our community with the best content, news, and stories that matter to you most.

Feel free to reply with your feedback. PM reads and responds to every email. :)

That’s all for today!

Much obliged and many thanks for reading and sharing today’s newsletter.

See you tomorrow!