| THE BIG STORY
No Americans or Iraqis were killed in the Iranian strike on US military bases in Iraq, Trump said
In a highly anticipated speech, President Donald Trump said there were no US or Iraqi casualties in Iran’s retaliatory attack on US military bases. The president also claimed Iran “appears to be standing down” after the missile attack.
Iran’s attack, which came after a US airstrike killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian general, stoked fears about escalating tensions between the two countries.
Trump’s address came as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House will vote this week on a war powers resolution to limit the president’s actions against Iran.
Meanwhile, after Soleimani’s funeral, a pro-Iran Instagram campaign targeted the Trump family. Ivanka and Melania Trump were the top targets of coordinated posts vowing revenge. One expert described the campaign as “a digital ‘flex’ or effort to intimidate.”
Throughout all the coverage of the tensions with Iran, Fox News hosts were against a ground war. Trump listened.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images STAYING ON TOP OF THIS Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are “stepping back” as senior members of the royal family
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they will be splitting their time between North America and the UK, and no longer receiving taxpayer funding.
The royal couple's decision comes after a year of what they described in an October interview as “unfair” and “untrue” media coverage that took a heavy toll on their lives and well-being.
Hours after the announcement, Buckingham Palace released a short statement that appeared to indicate that the Queen and the rest of the royal family were unprepared for news of Harry and Meghan's decision to be made public.
The BBC reported that “no other royal — including the Queen or Prince William — was consulted” before Harry and Meghan made their announcement, and said that other members of the royal family were “hurt” and “disappointed.”
IMPEACHMENT TODAY
While we're Biden our time. Joe Biden is at the center of Donald Trump’s whole Ukraine scheme. Now, he’s polling as the frontrunner to be the Democratic candidate. We discuss how the impeachment circus revolves around him. Listen and subscribe.
SNAPSHOTS A controversial plan to deport Mexican asylum-seekers to Guatemala has been paused. The move was met with criticism and anger from immigrant advocates and politicians earlier this week. Both Mexican and Guatemalan officials also criticized the decision.
Facebook is running anti-vax ads despite its ban on vaccine misinformation. Facebook appears to be in violation of its own policy on anti-vax ads, at a time when the social media giant is under fire for its handling of political ads.
Harvey Weinstein wants a new judge after he was scolded for using a cellphone in court. Weinstein's lawyer filed a letter asking the judge presiding over his rape trial to recuse himself, arguing the judge's scolding about his client’s cellphone use was “prejudicial and inflammatory.”
Jillian Michaels is being criticized for body-shaming Lizzo. Michaels, a former host of NBC’s weight-loss reality show The Biggest Loser, was criticized after she said she doesn’t know why the public should celebrate the singer’s body positivity.
A new Mac Miller album he was working on before he died is coming out. Circles will be released on Jan. 17, and will serve as a companion album to Swimming, the album Miller had released a month before his death.
SMOKE ANXIETY Pregnant women in Australia are asking for inductions and extra ultrasounds because of the bushfires
Australia still has a while to go in the middle of its catastrophic bushfire season, which has ravaged much of the country. Among the most acute consequences of the bushfires has been an overwhelming amount of smoke in the air.
The smoke is giving pregnant women significant worries about giving birth. One midwife described how women in their second trimester have been calling hospitals and asking for certificates to give to airlines to say they can fly, so they can go elsewhere.
Meanwhile, an obstetrician told us that her patients are “asking ‘Is my baby safer inside or outside of me right now?’”
Read our story about how Australia’s bushfires are making pregnant women more anxious.
Pregnant women march during a rally for climate action on Dec. 11, 2019, in Sydney. Jenny Evans / Getty Images FEAR AND MEMEING Gen Z’ers are making memes about World War III because they’re just trying to cope
In the wake of escalating worries about an all-out war between the US and Iran, social media feeds were flooded with memes and jokes about experiencing the war while being extremely online. Using humor to cope with tension and anxiety isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, but Gen Z’s war memes had a different flavor to them. Lauren Strapagiel looked closely at the fear and memeing. Remind yourself that your courage brought you this far, 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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