President Trump confirmed that Sean “Diddy” Combs requested a presidential pardon by sending a letter, but indicated he wasn’t planning to consider it. This revelation was made during a New York Times interview with Trump published on Thursday. The Times noted that the president confirmed Combs “asked me for a pardon” and said he would not consider the request.  During the same interview, the president said he would not consider pardoning recently captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. When asked about the possibility of a pardon for Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020, Trump reportedly said, “I haven’t been asked about it.” There has been tremendous speculation on the topic of a Diddy pardon, as Trump had previously made it sound as though he was considering the idea.  Trump commented on a potential pardon for Combs last May during an Oval Office press conference. “Nobody’s asked. But I know people are thinking about it. I know they’re thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking,” the president said in response to Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy. Trump said at the time that he hadn’t been following the case closely, but was aware of the extensive media coverage the trial was receiving. “I haven’t seen [Diddy], I haven’t spoken to him in years,” the president added. “He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics … that relationship busted up, from what I read. I don’t know — he didn’t tell me that, but I’d read some little bit nasty statements.” Trump emphasized that any pardon decision would be based solely on the merits of the case. “I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me,” he stated at the time. Combs was found guilty of two prostitution charges in July and was facing up to 20 years in prison following a high-profile trial in New York. He was acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. Prosecutors wanted to see the rapper behind bars for at least 11 years, calling Diddy “unrepentant,” but he was sentenced to just over four years in prison in October. 

At the beginning of every New Year, journalists, and other flagrant abusers of God’s precious gift of life, make lists of predictions about what will happen in the year to come. Turning their corruption-riddled minds to politics and culture and other topics they know absolutely nothing about, journalists forecast absurd scenarios that would confirm them in all the boneheaded prejudices that made their reporting such utterly useless crap-fountains in the year that just ended.  But unlike journalists, we at the Daily Wire are committed to telling the truth. And the truth is we have no freaking clue what’s going to happen in the next ten minutes let alone the months ahead. The future’s not ours to see, as Doris Day said, shortly after she let out an ear-piercing scream that startled the assassin so that he only wounded the ambassador, leaving Jimmy Stewart free to find his kidnapped son and knock the kidnapper down a flight of stairs to his death, a conclusion that makes absolutely no sense if you stop and think about it for even a minute. Where was I? Oh yeah. Since predicting the future is very popular and since no one knows the future, the Daily Wire has developed a system for forecasting the events of the year that is far more scientifically consistent than any other. Namely, we just make stuff up and hope we get lucky and can create the illusion that we’re much smarter than we are. So here are my predictions for 2026. In early March, a tarantula the size of the Chrysler Building will descend on New York City and begin to devour the inhabitants, who will find this a welcome relief from the policies of Zohran Mamdani. President Donald Trump will rush to the scene, armed only with an emerald-encrusted titanium sword he borrowed from Glenn Beck’s collection of titanium swords encrusted with various precious gems. Trump will single-handedly slay the spider, whereupon Democrats will condemn this violation of the arachnid rights guaranteed in our Constitution, and will spend the rest of the month having cocktails and photo ops with sad-looking tarantulas around the country, before heading to local hospitals to be treated for bites. “The View” will dedicate an entire show to the long history of anti-tarantula bias, until a guest tarantula crawls over Sunny Hostin’s hand, causing her to let out a high-pitched shriek that goes on for ten uninterrupted minutes before anyone realizes this is not just her usual commentary. At CBS News, meanwhile, editor-in-chief Bari Weiss will come under fire when she pounds a tarantula to death with a high-heeled shoe before anyone has time to explain to her that it was on its way to be interviewed for “60 Minutes.” And Candace Owens will announce that a spider the size of the Chrysler Building could only have been created by God, proving once again that a Jew is to blame. In the culture, Netflix Chief of Content Bela Bajaria will proclaim that all married couples in Netflix movies must be mixed race and all children must be homosexual unless they’re transgender in which case they can be heterosexual because that would be homosexual. When Netflix’s audience share sinks to zero percent, Mrs. Bajaria will tell interviewers, “Our pictures are still big. It’s the audience that got small,” and then descend a long staircase declaring, “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille,” before being carted off to a mental institution or to become head of Warner Brothers, depending on how the deal turns out. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will step down, resting on his accomplishments of watching Minneapolis burn to the ground while Somalians bilked American taxpayers out of billions of Somolians. Or possibly Somolians bilked us out of Somalians. Either way, they should both go back where they came from. Finally, Democrats will take back the House in the mid-terms, and immediately move to impeach Trump for flagrantly causing world peace and American prosperity. Republicans will keep the Senate, but Chuck Schumer will reassure journalists, “The government is still big, it’s the people who got small,” and then descend a staircase declaring, “I’m ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille,” before he’s devoured by a gigantic tarantula. All right, that last part is just a personal daydream of mine. * * * This excerpt is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “The Andrew Klavan Show.” Andrew Klavan is the host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire. Klavan is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Cameron Winter Mystery series. The fifth installment, After That, The Dark, is NOW AVAILABLE. Follow him on X: @andrewklavan. The views expressed in this satirical piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Iran’s regime has weaponized the internet itself, cutting off millions from the digital world precisely when protesters need it most to coordinate resistance and document government brutality. Digital Darkness as Political Weapon Network monitoring organizations NetBlocks and Cloudflare documented synchronized traffic drops across multiple Iranian internet service providers on January 8, confirming state-directed interference rather than technical failures. International calls to Iranian landlines and mobile phones frequently failed, revealing the breadth of communication disruption. This calculated digital siege represents the regime’s recognition that modern protests live and die by their ability to coordinate through digital channels. The timing exposes the government’s desperation. As exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi warned supporters that authorities were “deeply frightened” and might cut internet access, he reframed any shutdown as proof of weakness and a “call to continue your presence and to take over the streets.” The regime’s response validated his assessment completely. From Bazaar Economics to Regime Resistance What began as merchant strikes in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over currency collapse and market instability has metastasized into something far more threatening to the Islamic Republic. The initial grievances about rising dollar exchange rates and small business bankruptcies have given way to chants of “Death to the dictator” and “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran.” By January 7, human rights organization HRANA documented protests and strikes in 37 cities, with 348 protest sites recorded since the movement began. At least 45 universities joined the demonstrations, transforming campuses into centers of political resistance. The geographic and demographic spread signals a movement that transcends typical economic unrest. Calculated Repression Through Connectivity Control Iran’s approach to internet shutdowns has evolved since the brutal 2019 crackdown that featured near-total blackouts. Authorities now employ what experts call “calibrated connectivity” – maintaining partial access to avoid crippling economic costs while still fragmenting protest coordination. This strategic partial shutdown allows the regime to claim technical difficulties while systematically dismantling opposition networks. The government simultaneously closed schools and offices across 21-26 provinces, ostensibly due to “cold weather” and energy constraints. This transparent pretext fooled no one but provided administrative cover for what amounted to martial law without the formal declaration. The regime’s willingness to paralyze normal life demonstrates how seriously it takes this challenge to its survival. Historical Pattern of Digital Authoritarianism Iran’s current tactics follow a playbook refined through repeated use since the 2009 Green Movement. The 2019 fuel price protests saw hundreds killed under cover of near-total internet blackouts, while the 2022 Mahsa Amini demonstrations faced region-specific and platform-targeted disruptions. Each iteration has taught authorities how to maximize control while minimizing international backlash. The institutionalization of digital repression represents a fundamental shift in how authoritarian governments maintain power. By controlling information flows, the regime simultaneously prevents protesters from coordinating, stops documentation of abuses, and creates anxiety among families unable to contact relatives. This multi-pronged approach attacks the social fabric that sustains resistance movements. Sources: Jerusalem Post – Iran Internet Shutdown Article Wikipedia – 2025-2026 Iranian Protests National Council of Resistance of Iran – Iran News Brief January 7, 2026 IranWire – A Calculated Choice: Why Iran Kept the Internet Partially Online

‘Campaign of rape’

Weak sauce...

'I feared that it was my end'

'Iran under protesters’ control'

'I’m committed to moving forward with purpose'

'Dishonorable and feckless'

'There is a supremacy clause in the Constitution'