Field Notes - Global Conflict: On January 14–15, U.S. officials and foreign governments prepared for military actions in Iran and Greenland, signaling heightened but uncertain military tensions. European troops conducted a rapid two-day deployment to Greenland amid renewed U.S. strategic interest in the territory and parallel reports that a planned U.S. military strike on Iran was prepared but ultimately paused. In Greenland, Danish officials confirmed allied military activity framed as reassurance and deterrence, citing concerns about Russian and Chinese influence while responding to reports that President Trump was again exploring U.S. control or takeover options, an idea Denmark rejected while emphasizing Greenland’s status and existing U.S. military presence. Separately, regional reporting claimed the U.S. had advanced preparations for potential strikes on Iran, including placing long-range U.S. Air Force bombers on alert, before halting plans due to shifting conditions and diplomatic interventions by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman. U.S. authorities did not publicly confirm a canceled attack, with some officials calling the claim “inaccurate,” while Iranian officials and Hezbollah-linked groups threatened retaliatory attacks if Iran was struck. U.S. political figures issued conflicting statements that underscored the risk of rapid escalation despite the apparent pause. The Danish Prime Minister said, “The American ambition to take over Greenland is intact… that is of course serious, and therefore we continue our efforts to prevent this scenario becoming a reality.” The alleged averted strikes on Iran came during a widespread cellular outage in the U.S. (ruled a software issue by Verizon) and as Iran deployed jamming technology to disrupt Starlink int...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
FYSA - 2nd Amendment: On January 7th, President Trump ordered the U.S. to withdraw from and cease participation and funding for 66 bodies (31 tied to the United Nations), including involvement in the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA), framing the move as preventing any international mechanism from influencing or collecting data related to domestic firearm ownership and asserting that Second Amendment matters remain exclusively under U.S. jurisdiction. UNROCA is a “transparency mechanism” established by a UN General Assembly resolution in 1991 that encourages participating countries to annually report imports, exports, and holdings of conventional weapons, including battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, and missiles. It further requests reports on small arms and light weapons, including those dually possessed by civilians. The da...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
FYSA - Legal Update: On January 13th, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in cases challenging state laws that prohibit transgender athletes from competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams. During the hearing 300+ women's rights activists rallied outside calling for men to be banned from women’s sports. The justices examined whether such laws violate Title IX’s prohibition on sex discrimination and the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. The rulings could determine how much authority states have to set sex-based eligibility rules in school athletics. The Court did not issue a ruling in the cases challenging state laws from Idaho and West Virginia that bar males (identifying as transgender) from competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams. During the hearing, justices focused on whether such laws violate Title IX or the Equal Protection Clause, with conservative justices expressing skepticism that the bans constitute unlawful discrimination and emphasizing states’ authority to regulate sports based on biological sex, while liberal justices questioned potenti...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
Field Notes - National Security / Civil Unrest / Government Oversight: The Pentagon has placed approximately 1,500 active-duty U.S. soldiers from two infantry battalions of the Alaska-based 11th Airborne Division on “prepare-to-deploy” orders amid growing unrest in Minnesota. Debrief: The troop readiness is a contingency in case riots escalate and comes after President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807—an extraordinary federal authority to use active-duty forces for domestic law enforcement—to quell ongoing demonstrations, a move that has drawn legal, political, and public criticism nationwide, while Minnesota mobilizes its National Guard and tensions about federal overreach and civil liberties intensify. Debrief: The Insurrection Act allows a U.S. president to deploy active-duty military forces domestically in three specific situations: when a state legislature or governor requests federal assistance; when unlawful obstructions, combinations, assemblages, or rebellion make it impracticable to enforce federal law through normal judicial processes; or when domestic violence, insurrection, or conspiracy deprives people of constitutional rights and state authorities are unable or unwilling to protect those rights. The Act does not suspend the Constitution, automatically impose martial law, grant unlimited military policing powers, or bypass other laws, and constitutional limits still apply. Before deploying troops, the president must publicly order those involved to disperse and give them an opportunity to comply peacefully. Courts have historically treated the decision to invoke the Act as largely unreviewable, though lawsuits may address how military or National Guard forces behave after deployment, and if invoked today, it wou...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
Summary of Recent Developments: SORD
》In Portland, OR on January 19th, two Portland Police Bureau officers were shot and injured in the Sullivan’s Gulch neighborhood of Northeast Portland while responding to a threat involving a weapon near Northeast 21st Avenue and Northeast Clackamas Street. The suspect reportedly ambushed responding officers and opened fire. The officers were hospitalized in stable condition and did not return fire, prompting a large police response including tactical teams and a neighborhood search that concluded without locating the suspect, who remains at large. As police responded to the shooting in Northeast Portland, separate anti-ICE protests escalated at a South Portland ICE facility. There have been no indications of a connection to ICE operations or nearby anti-ICE protests, as the incident stemmed from a separate domestic threat call in a residential area, distinct from ongoing demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement elsewhere in the city, including a sit-in at the downtown ICE facility that led to arrests the same day.
》In St. Paul, MN, videos have circulated showing far-left anti-ICE community members armed with rifles standing outside homes and along public sidewalks amid reported ICE sightings, with individuals claiming to protect their neighborhoods from federal immigration enforcement actions.
》In Minneapolis, MN, labor unions, faith leaders, and community organizations called for a statewide “Day of Truth and Freedom” on January 23rd, urging an economic blackout with no work, shopping, or school attendance, and a 2:00 PM mass anti-ICE mobilization downtown. This followed expanded protests as organizers demanded ICE leave the state, accountability for the shooting, no additional ICE funding, and businesses sever ties with the agency.
》In the Twin Cities, MN, anti-ICE organizers staged sit-ins and disruptions at Target stores in late January, including a coordinated action where protesters bought bags of salt symbolically to “melt ICE” and repeatedly returned them to create delays and pressure Target to condemn federal immigration enforcement and restrict ICE activity on its property. The protests drew law enforcement attention and disrupted shoppers, with one video showing about 70 people in line to return salt at an Edina store.
》In Richmond, VA on January 19th, coinciding with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, gun-rights advocates and gun-violence prevention supporters held competing rallies at the Virginia State Capitol during Lobby Day as lawmakers debated gun policy proposals, including bills for an 11% tax on firearms and ammunition, restrictions on semi-automatic rifles, suppressor tax hikes, and so-called “ghost gun” bans. The pro-Second Amendment rally organized by the Virginia Citizens Defense League drew nearly 1,000 attendees, some armed, with the Virginia Kekoas milit...(CLASSIFIED)
》In Nuuk, Greenland, an...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
》In Portland, OR on January 19th, two Portland Police Bureau officers were shot and injured in the Sullivan’s Gulch neighborhood of Northeast Portland while responding to a threat involving a weapon near Northeast 21st Avenue and Northeast Clackamas Street. The suspect reportedly ambushed responding officers and opened fire. The officers were hospitalized in stable condition and did not return fire, prompting a large police response including tactical teams and a neighborhood search that concluded without locating the suspect, who remains at large. As police responded to the shooting in Northeast Portland, separate anti-ICE protests escalated at a South Portland ICE facility. There have been no indications of a connection to ICE operations or nearby anti-ICE protests, as the incident stemmed from a separate domestic threat call in a residential area, distinct from ongoing demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement elsewhere in the city, including a sit-in at the downtown ICE facility that led to arrests the same day.
》In St. Paul, MN, videos have circulated showing far-left anti-ICE community members armed with rifles standing outside homes and along public sidewalks amid reported ICE sightings, with individuals claiming to protect their neighborhoods from federal immigration enforcement actions.
》In Minneapolis, MN, labor unions, faith leaders, and community organizations called for a statewide “Day of Truth and Freedom” on January 23rd, urging an economic blackout with no work, shopping, or school attendance, and a 2:00 PM mass anti-ICE mobilization downtown. This followed expanded protests as organizers demanded ICE leave the state, accountability for the shooting, no additional ICE funding, and businesses sever ties with the agency.
》In the Twin Cities, MN, anti-ICE organizers staged sit-ins and disruptions at Target stores in late January, including a coordinated action where protesters bought bags of salt symbolically to “melt ICE” and repeatedly returned them to create delays and pressure Target to condemn federal immigration enforcement and restrict ICE activity on its property. The protests drew law enforcement attention and disrupted shoppers, with one video showing about 70 people in line to return salt at an Edina store.
》In Richmond, VA on January 19th, coinciding with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, gun-rights advocates and gun-violence prevention supporters held competing rallies at the Virginia State Capitol during Lobby Day as lawmakers debated gun policy proposals, including bills for an 11% tax on firearms and ammunition, restrictions on semi-automatic rifles, suppressor tax hikes, and so-called “ghost gun” bans. The pro-Second Amendment rally organized by the Virginia Citizens Defense League drew nearly 1,000 attendees, some armed, with the Virginia Kekoas milit...(CLASSIFIED)
》In Nuuk, Greenland, an...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
Cybersecurity Brief: National Summary
BLUF: Over the last two weeks, state-linked cyber espionage, communications disruptions, and expanding activity targeting ICS and OT systems have increased cyber risk to U.S. national security and critical infrast...
》A Chinese hacking group compromised U.S. congressional committee email systems. Salt Typhoon (Chinese state-aligned actors) accessed email accounts used by staffers of several powerful U.S. House committees, raising concerns about espionage targeting national security decision-making systems. U.S. agencies have not publicly confirmed full detai...
》The Verizon widespread mobile network outage renewed critical communications vulnerability scrutiny. The broad wireless outage disrupted voice, text, and data services across the U.S., prompting FCC review and calls from analysts for stronger resilience for emergency and public safety communicatio...
》Hacktivists and cybercriminals are expanding attacks on ICS, OT, and AI systems. Recent research highlights that adversaries, including hacktivist groups and cybercrime actors, are increasingly targeting industrial control systems (ICS), operational technology (OT), and integrated AI components within critical infrastructure environments, exploiting exposed inter...
》InfraShield issued a new alert advising U.S. critical infrastructure operators that geopolitical developments, specifically public signaling of U.S. cyber operations in Venezuela, have elevated the cyber threat environment. This comes after the White House indicated the U.S. used cyber or technical capabilities to cut power in parts of Caracas during operations that led to the capture of Maduro. If accurate, the statement would represent one of the most overt public acknowledgments of U.S. cyber power being used against another nation in recent years. The alert states that adversaries, including nation-state and proxy actors, are already probing energy, water, telecommunications, and industrial systems for vulnerabilities and may interpret U.S. actions as justification for increased cyber activity against Western infrastructure. The advisory emphasizes that such probing is not just reconnaissance; it can establish persistent footholds that attackers could activate later for disruptive operations. InfraShield’s president notes that sophisticated threat actors aim to be “strike-ready” and that heightened targeti...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
BLUF: Over the last two weeks, state-linked cyber espionage, communications disruptions, and expanding activity targeting ICS and OT systems have increased cyber risk to U.S. national security and critical infrast...
》A Chinese hacking group compromised U.S. congressional committee email systems. Salt Typhoon (Chinese state-aligned actors) accessed email accounts used by staffers of several powerful U.S. House committees, raising concerns about espionage targeting national security decision-making systems. U.S. agencies have not publicly confirmed full detai...
》The Verizon widespread mobile network outage renewed critical communications vulnerability scrutiny. The broad wireless outage disrupted voice, text, and data services across the U.S., prompting FCC review and calls from analysts for stronger resilience for emergency and public safety communicatio...
》Hacktivists and cybercriminals are expanding attacks on ICS, OT, and AI systems. Recent research highlights that adversaries, including hacktivist groups and cybercrime actors, are increasingly targeting industrial control systems (ICS), operational technology (OT), and integrated AI components within critical infrastructure environments, exploiting exposed inter...
》InfraShield issued a new alert advising U.S. critical infrastructure operators that geopolitical developments, specifically public signaling of U.S. cyber operations in Venezuela, have elevated the cyber threat environment. This comes after the White House indicated the U.S. used cyber or technical capabilities to cut power in parts of Caracas during operations that led to the capture of Maduro. If accurate, the statement would represent one of the most overt public acknowledgments of U.S. cyber power being used against another nation in recent years. The alert states that adversaries, including nation-state and proxy actors, are already probing energy, water, telecommunications, and industrial systems for vulnerabilities and may interpret U.S. actions as justification for increased cyber activity against Western infrastructure. The advisory emphasizes that such probing is not just reconnaissance; it can establish persistent footholds that attackers could activate later for disruptive operations. InfraShield’s president notes that sophisticated threat actors aim to be “strike-ready” and that heightened targeti...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
FYSA - Civil Unrest / Debrief: In MN and Nationwide; open-source intelligence indicates escalating threats to public safety in Minneapolis and potentially nationwide amid unrest following a Border Patrol-involved shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen who was di...(CLASSIFIED
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard to assist local law enforcement after a federal immigration officer fatally shot a man in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement operation. Guard troops were dep...(CLASSIFIED)
Local businesses are boarding up as hundreds of protesters gather at blocked intersections in the Whittier neighborhood, with reports of large far-left groups assembling and concerns over limited police presence. An autonomous zone has been established near the incident site, featuring barricades constructed from stolen property, traffic shutdowns, armed community members standing guard, and self-designated traffic enforcement. Riots have intensified with street fires set, physical assaults on federal officers reported—including an HSI officer's finger bitten off—and distribution of gas masks among protesters, alongside solicitation of donations for defense funds. Nationwide, open-source intelligence highlights a significant surge in threatening social media activity concentrated in Minnesota and tied to anti-law enforcement rhetoric, with the FB...(CLASSIFIED)
Federal immigration-enforcement protests and riots in Minneapolis–St. Paul remain active, with demonstrators clashing with law enforcement, vandalizing and attempting to storm ho...(CLASSIFIED)
U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino and some agents are expected to leave the Minneapolis area on January 27th, leading to speculation that he is being relieved of his position. The Trump administration has dispatched former Border Patrol official Tom Homan to take over federal immigration operations in the state, while also signaling declined support for ICE operations in the state and a shift to fraud investigations by DHS. Businesses and labor leaders have publicl...(CLASSIFIED)
Anti-ICE activists have claimed victory and referenced the recent shift in federal rhetoric and the perceived demotion of ICE/BP leadership (e.g., Gregory Bovino). They say it reflects a weakening of the Trump administration’s position, framing that as evidence of protest success. They assert that their actions were not conventional activism but decentralized, autonomous direct action, crediting grassroots organizing—rather than politicians, political parties, or petitions—with forcing political fractures and retreat. In their view, this outcome proves the effectiveness of their tactics and signals the beginning of a series of victories in which they aim to drive out what they see as “forces of repression” a...(CLASSIFIED)
An analysis of the anti-ICE/BP activity shows characteristics of a low-level, organized insurgent network rather than spontaneous civil unrest. Parallels between counter–federal government operations can be observed in the structures and behaviors familiar in counterinsurgency environments, such as defined command-and-control, compartmented communications, role specialization, intelligence collection on law enforcement movements, operational security practices, vetting of participants, and logistical support from sympathetic locals. Protesters have also been operating in decentralized cells designed to avoid a single point of failure; they escalate selectively and maintain narrative support while applying sustained pressure on federal forces. Once this type of infrastructure is established, it historically does not self-dismantle. Misc...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard to assist local law enforcement after a federal immigration officer fatally shot a man in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement operation. Guard troops were dep...(CLASSIFIED)
Local businesses are boarding up as hundreds of protesters gather at blocked intersections in the Whittier neighborhood, with reports of large far-left groups assembling and concerns over limited police presence. An autonomous zone has been established near the incident site, featuring barricades constructed from stolen property, traffic shutdowns, armed community members standing guard, and self-designated traffic enforcement. Riots have intensified with street fires set, physical assaults on federal officers reported—including an HSI officer's finger bitten off—and distribution of gas masks among protesters, alongside solicitation of donations for defense funds. Nationwide, open-source intelligence highlights a significant surge in threatening social media activity concentrated in Minnesota and tied to anti-law enforcement rhetoric, with the FB...(CLASSIFIED)
Federal immigration-enforcement protests and riots in Minneapolis–St. Paul remain active, with demonstrators clashing with law enforcement, vandalizing and attempting to storm ho...(CLASSIFIED)
U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino and some agents are expected to leave the Minneapolis area on January 27th, leading to speculation that he is being relieved of his position. The Trump administration has dispatched former Border Patrol official Tom Homan to take over federal immigration operations in the state, while also signaling declined support for ICE operations in the state and a shift to fraud investigations by DHS. Businesses and labor leaders have publicl...(CLASSIFIED)
Anti-ICE activists have claimed victory and referenced the recent shift in federal rhetoric and the perceived demotion of ICE/BP leadership (e.g., Gregory Bovino). They say it reflects a weakening of the Trump administration’s position, framing that as evidence of protest success. They assert that their actions were not conventional activism but decentralized, autonomous direct action, crediting grassroots organizing—rather than politicians, political parties, or petitions—with forcing political fractures and retreat. In their view, this outcome proves the effectiveness of their tactics and signals the beginning of a series of victories in which they aim to drive out what they see as “forces of repression” a...(CLASSIFIED)
An analysis of the anti-ICE/BP activity shows characteristics of a low-level, organized insurgent network rather than spontaneous civil unrest. Parallels between counter–federal government operations can be observed in the structures and behaviors familiar in counterinsurgency environments, such as defined command-and-control, compartmented communications, role specialization, intelligence collection on law enforcement movements, operational security practices, vetting of participants, and logistical support from sympathetic locals. Protesters have also been operating in decentralized cells designed to avoid a single point of failure; they escalate selectively and maintain narrative support while applying sustained pressure on federal forces. Once this type of infrastructure is established, it historically does not self-dismantle. Misc...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
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Civil Unrest / Societal Collapse / Citizen Actions / Extremism Brief: National Summary
BLUF: Anti-ICE church disruptions; March for Life rally; Patriot Front actions; Democrat Representative attacked; Trump supporter strikes anti-ICE activist with vehicle; Nationwide General Strike against ICE.
》In MN, the U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing whether anti-ICE protesters who disrupted a church service in St. Paul violated federal civil rights laws, including the FACE Act, after video circulated showing protesters entering the sanctuary and interrupting worship while Don Lemon filmed from inside; Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison publicly rejected the claim that the FACE Act applies, arguing it was designed to protect access to reproductive health services and not intended for protests in churches, while DOJ officials have stated they are evaluating whether interference with religious worship and potential coordination crosses into prosecutable conduct. Federal authorities have arrested three individuals in connection with the St. Paul church disruption and charged them with federal civil-rights conspiracy violations related to interference with religious worship. Efforts by the DOJ to expand charges, including against Don Lemon, have so far been rejected by judges, and no additional charges have been announced as of the latest reporting.
》In Washington D.C. on January 23rd; 30,000+ pro-life activists gathered in for the 53rd annual March for Life rally and march, beginning with a midday rally on the National Mall under the theme “Life Is a Gift” and proceeding toward the U.S. Supreme Court. The event included speeches by Vice President Vance and other conservative leaders, and occurred amid cold weather and planned road closures around the Mall. President Trump delivered a pre-recorded message to attendees in which he said, “This is a battle that must be fought, must be won, not only in the corridors of power, but above all, in the hearts and souls of the people,” framing the pro-life cause as an ongoing effort.
》In Washington D.C. on January 23rd; the alt-right group, Patriot Front, gathered at Smithsonian station. From video observed, they stood around in their typically khaki cargo pants with hats and masks. No visi...(CLASSIFIED)
》In Minneapolis, MN on January 27th, an individual rushed toward Rep. Ilhan Omar during a town hall and sprayed an unknown substance at her using a syringe, prompting immediate intervention by security and the Minneapolis Police Department, who took the suspect into custody. Omar was not injured and chose to continue the event, while police later confirmed the suspect was booked into Hennepin County Jail on a charge of third-degree assault and authorities have not publicly identified the substance involved (it was described as "smelling bad"). Some sources claimed the fluid was apple cider vinegar and that Omar was seen in prior phot...(CLASSIFIED)
》In Fremont, NE on January 29th; student-led anti-ICE activists protested at Fremont High School. An apparent Trump supporter drove his vehicle past the school 2-3 times while displaying a Trump flag attached to the back of the SUV he was driving. Witness video shows a high-school-aged male parking the SUV in front of the school, arguing with protesters, reentering the vehicle, then driving forward away from the group. A female, anti-ICE student holding a sign, ran from the side of the road into the lane of travel as the SUV was driving forward. The SUV struck the student, who then fell to the side; the driver stopped, the passenger looked outside at the struck student, then the driver left the immediate scene. Police and paramedics responded, and the injured student was transported by ambulance to a hospital, where she was repor...(CLASSIFIED)
》Nationw...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
BLUF: Anti-ICE church disruptions; March for Life rally; Patriot Front actions; Democrat Representative attacked; Trump supporter strikes anti-ICE activist with vehicle; Nationwide General Strike against ICE.
》In MN, the U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing whether anti-ICE protesters who disrupted a church service in St. Paul violated federal civil rights laws, including the FACE Act, after video circulated showing protesters entering the sanctuary and interrupting worship while Don Lemon filmed from inside; Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison publicly rejected the claim that the FACE Act applies, arguing it was designed to protect access to reproductive health services and not intended for protests in churches, while DOJ officials have stated they are evaluating whether interference with religious worship and potential coordination crosses into prosecutable conduct. Federal authorities have arrested three individuals in connection with the St. Paul church disruption and charged them with federal civil-rights conspiracy violations related to interference with religious worship. Efforts by the DOJ to expand charges, including against Don Lemon, have so far been rejected by judges, and no additional charges have been announced as of the latest reporting.
》In Washington D.C. on January 23rd; 30,000+ pro-life activists gathered in for the 53rd annual March for Life rally and march, beginning with a midday rally on the National Mall under the theme “Life Is a Gift” and proceeding toward the U.S. Supreme Court. The event included speeches by Vice President Vance and other conservative leaders, and occurred amid cold weather and planned road closures around the Mall. President Trump delivered a pre-recorded message to attendees in which he said, “This is a battle that must be fought, must be won, not only in the corridors of power, but above all, in the hearts and souls of the people,” framing the pro-life cause as an ongoing effort.
》In Washington D.C. on January 23rd; the alt-right group, Patriot Front, gathered at Smithsonian station. From video observed, they stood around in their typically khaki cargo pants with hats and masks. No visi...(CLASSIFIED)
》In Minneapolis, MN on January 27th, an individual rushed toward Rep. Ilhan Omar during a town hall and sprayed an unknown substance at her using a syringe, prompting immediate intervention by security and the Minneapolis Police Department, who took the suspect into custody. Omar was not injured and chose to continue the event, while police later confirmed the suspect was booked into Hennepin County Jail on a charge of third-degree assault and authorities have not publicly identified the substance involved (it was described as "smelling bad"). Some sources claimed the fluid was apple cider vinegar and that Omar was seen in prior phot...(CLASSIFIED)
》In Fremont, NE on January 29th; student-led anti-ICE activists protested at Fremont High School. An apparent Trump supporter drove his vehicle past the school 2-3 times while displaying a Trump flag attached to the back of the SUV he was driving. Witness video shows a high-school-aged male parking the SUV in front of the school, arguing with protesters, reentering the vehicle, then driving forward away from the group. A female, anti-ICE student holding a sign, ran from the side of the road into the lane of travel as the SUV was driving forward. The SUV struck the student, who then fell to the side; the driver stopped, the passenger looked outside at the struck student, then the driver left the immediate scene. Police and paramedics responded, and the injured student was transported by ambulance to a hospital, where she was repor...(CLASSIFIED)
》Nationw...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
Field Notes - Infrastructure: In IA, IL, IN, OH, MN, WI, MI, NE, KS, SD, FL, NC, GA, and AR; decades of fertilizer and manure overapplication have left U.S. farmland with phosphorus levels far above what crops need. This excess, often called “legacy phosphorus,” is stored in soils and is now leaching and running off into rivers, lakes, and estuaries across the Midwest, Great Plains, Southeast, and other major agricultural regions. Once soils are saturated, rainfall and irrigation mobilize phosphorus into waterways, contributing to toxic algal blooms, oxygen-depleted dead zones, ecosystem damage, and rising municipal drinking water treatment costs. Outdated soil testing methods have underestimated true phosphorus saturation, leading to continued overapplication and wasted fertilizer spending. Research now shows phosphorus buildup is a national water quality threat rather than a localized farm management issue. Anticipated impacts include expanding waterway impairment, tighter nutrient regulations, increased public health risks from algal toxins, and higher infrastructure costs, with particular relevance for nutrient-sensitive areas such as Florida’s Okeechobee Basin, where heavy rains can rapidly intensify runoff and bloom conditions. Debrief: (CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
FYSA - Preparedness: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a Board of scientists and analysts who provide a symbolic gauge of how close humanity is to catastrophe, have set the "Doomsday Clock" to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest setting ever. The "experts" said there are existential risks that global leaders are failing to address. The Board moved the clock this year due to escalating nuclear dangers (expiring arms-control agreements, regional conflicts involving nuclear powers, arms races), perceptions of worsening climate change, the misuse of biotechnology, and the rapidly advancing and unregulated artificial intelligence that can amplify threats and disinformation, all compounded by what the Board calls a global failure of leadership and cooperation. Since 2009, t...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
FYSA - Civil Unrest / Government Oversight: On January 31st, President Trump announced that federal authorities, including Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Border Patrol, will not intervene in protests or unrest in Democratic-led cities unless local or state officials formally request assistance, saying help should be requested “please.” The directive emphasizes that federal forces will instead focus on protecting federal property and highlights a shift in policy amid nationwide protests linked to the administration’s immigration enforcement actions, particularly after fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis. A post made by POTUS read in part, "I have instructed Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, that under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run Democrat Cities with regard to their Protests and/or Riots unless, and until, they ask us for help. We will, however, guard, and very powerfully so, any and all Federal Buildings that are being attacked by these highly paid Lunatics, Agitators, and Insurrectionists. Please be aware that I have instructed ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property. There will be no spitting in the faces of our Officers, there will be no punching or kicking the headlights of our cars, and there will be no rock or brick throwing at our vehicles, or at our Patriot Warriors. If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence. In the meantime, by copy of this Statement, I am informing Local Governments, as I did in Los Angeles when they were rioting at the end of the Biden Term, that you must protect your own State and Local Property. In addition, it is your obligation to also protect our Federal Property, Buildings, Parks, and everything else. We are there to protect Federal Property, only as a back up, in that it is Local and State Responsibility to do so. Last night in Eugene, Oregon, these criminals broke into a Federal Building, and did great damage, also scaring and harassing the hardworking employees. Local Police did nothing in order to stop it. We will not let th..."...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
Government Oversight Brief: Epstein Files
BLUF: DOJ released 3.5 million Epstein records alleging trafficking networks, intelligence ties, and detailed allegations involving Trump, Gates, Musk, Lutnick, Bannon, Tisch, Clinton, and others; DOJ called it the final bulk release.
On January 30th, the Department of Justice released approximately 3.5 million pages of records, along with about 2,000 videos and roughly 180,000 images, related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, pursuant to the Epstein Files Transparency Act. DOJ stated that more than 6 million pages were identified as potentially responsive, but the public release was limited to the 3.5 million pages after review, with portions redacted or withheld to protect victim identities, comply with legal restrictions, and avoid interference with ongoing or related investigations. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated this release represents the final bulk production, adding that DOJ would prosecute any individuals if evidence of prosecutable crimes were identified in the material, and said DOJ is not withholding a separate cache of known abusers.
In the Epstein files release labeled Data Set 9–12 on DOJ’s disclosures page, documents referenced numerous individuals tied to specific allegations or communications. Steve Tisch (New York Giants co-owner) appeared in emails in which Epstein allegedly offered to connect him with women and Tisch allegedly asked whether certain women were “working girls,” along with other logistics-related exchanges. Bill Gates (Microsoft co-founder) was referenced in Epstein-authored emails alleging Gates sought antibiotics for an STD to secretly give to his then-wife, Melinda, relied on an associate named Boris to obtain drugs, and engaged in what the emails described as “illicit trysts” with “Russian girls” and married women. Elon Musk (entrepreneur) appeared in emails from 2012–2013 showing discussions about scheduling visits to Epstein’s Caribbean island, including questions about which dates would host the “wildest party” and helicopter travel logistics. Howard Lutnick (U.S. Commerce Secretary) was referenced in emails planning a 2012 visit to Epstein’s private island and in later interactions from 2017–2018, including Epstein donating to a charity dinner honoring Lutnick. Steve Bannon (political figure) appeared in emails discussing gifts, including an Apple Watch, and separately forwarded Epstein a news article about Robert Kraft’s 2019 arrest for soliciting prostitution in Florida. George Stephanopoulos (television host) and Woody Allen (film director) were listed on a reported dinner guest list found in the files, while Larry Summers (former U.S. Treasury Secretary) appeared in emails related to academic and policy circles. Bill Clinton (former U.S. President) was referenced in travel and contact materials discussed in coverage of the release. The files also contained extensive references to Donald Trump (U.S. President), whose name appeared more than 3,200 times in tips and FBI forms alleging sexual assault, sex trafficking, and coerced acts with minors dating from the 1980s through the mid-2000s. One FBI fo...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
BLUF: DOJ released 3.5 million Epstein records alleging trafficking networks, intelligence ties, and detailed allegations involving Trump, Gates, Musk, Lutnick, Bannon, Tisch, Clinton, and others; DOJ called it the final bulk release.
On January 30th, the Department of Justice released approximately 3.5 million pages of records, along with about 2,000 videos and roughly 180,000 images, related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, pursuant to the Epstein Files Transparency Act. DOJ stated that more than 6 million pages were identified as potentially responsive, but the public release was limited to the 3.5 million pages after review, with portions redacted or withheld to protect victim identities, comply with legal restrictions, and avoid interference with ongoing or related investigations. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated this release represents the final bulk production, adding that DOJ would prosecute any individuals if evidence of prosecutable crimes were identified in the material, and said DOJ is not withholding a separate cache of known abusers.
In the Epstein files release labeled Data Set 9–12 on DOJ’s disclosures page, documents referenced numerous individuals tied to specific allegations or communications. Steve Tisch (New York Giants co-owner) appeared in emails in which Epstein allegedly offered to connect him with women and Tisch allegedly asked whether certain women were “working girls,” along with other logistics-related exchanges. Bill Gates (Microsoft co-founder) was referenced in Epstein-authored emails alleging Gates sought antibiotics for an STD to secretly give to his then-wife, Melinda, relied on an associate named Boris to obtain drugs, and engaged in what the emails described as “illicit trysts” with “Russian girls” and married women. Elon Musk (entrepreneur) appeared in emails from 2012–2013 showing discussions about scheduling visits to Epstein’s Caribbean island, including questions about which dates would host the “wildest party” and helicopter travel logistics. Howard Lutnick (U.S. Commerce Secretary) was referenced in emails planning a 2012 visit to Epstein’s private island and in later interactions from 2017–2018, including Epstein donating to a charity dinner honoring Lutnick. Steve Bannon (political figure) appeared in emails discussing gifts, including an Apple Watch, and separately forwarded Epstein a news article about Robert Kraft’s 2019 arrest for soliciting prostitution in Florida. George Stephanopoulos (television host) and Woody Allen (film director) were listed on a reported dinner guest list found in the files, while Larry Summers (former U.S. Treasury Secretary) appeared in emails related to academic and policy circles. Bill Clinton (former U.S. President) was referenced in travel and contact materials discussed in coverage of the release. The files also contained extensive references to Donald Trump (U.S. President), whose name appeared more than 3,200 times in tips and FBI forms alleging sexual assault, sex trafficking, and coerced acts with minors dating from the 1980s through the mid-2000s. One FBI fo...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
FYSA - Privacy / Commercial Oversight / Government Oversight: TikTok’s U.S. operations have updated their privacy policy to permit the collection of "precise location data", including GPS-level information, a change from the prior practice of gathering only "approximate" location data based on IP address or SIM information. The company states that precise location tracking is optional, turned off by default, and requires explicit user opt-in through device permissions, and says the data may be used to support features such as localized content and services. The change follows ongoing scrutiny over user privacy and data handling, as TikTok continues restructuring its U.S. data operations to address concerns about how and where American user data is stored and accessed. Debrief: Under TikTok’s updated U.S. privacy framework, in-app notifications and messages may be used to encourage users to enable precise location tracking, including through repeated prompts that highlight the perceived benefits of turning on location services. Previously, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance did not collect precise GPS-level location data, but the revised policy now allows it on an opt-in basis following changes to U.S. operations and oversight. The shift has prompted privacy concerns from observers who warn that persistent consent prompts can pressure users into sharing sensitive location data and that expanded access to precise location information increases the ri...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
Field Notes - Health & Safety / Major Crime: In Las Vegas, NV on January 31st; Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI, and Clark County Fire Department executed a search warrant at a residence after receiving intelligence about laboratory equipment and possible biological materials. Authorities found refrigerators filled with 1,000+ vials of unknown liquids and lab equipment. Authorities linked the property’s owner to a 2023 unauthorized biological laboratory case in Reedley, CA, involving Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national previously arrested for operating an illegal lab where vials of infectious diseases were found and for distributing fraudulent COVID-19 test kits without FDA authorization. In Las Vegas, law enforcement described the investigation as complex and ongoing, emphasized there was no immediate threat to public safety, and seized numerous items for federal analysis while the FBI assists in determining the nature of the materials recovered. Debrief: (CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
FYSA - Cybersecurity: In New Britain, CT on January 28-30; an unidentified cybercriminal actor breached local government systems in a ransomware attack. Local reporting says phone and computer networks across multiple departments were impacted. City departments had to revert to manual processes while the FBI and state authorities investigate and work on recovery; emergency services remained operational. Debrief: Even wh...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
2nd Amendment Brief: National Summary
BLUF: The Supreme Court heard Wolford v. Lopez on whether states can broadly bar carry on private property open to the public; DOJ signaled major reinterpretations and rollbacks affecting handgun transfers and federal gun rules; the Supreme Court continues to weigh United States v. Hemani on drug-user possession bans; Tennessee advanced a tenant gun-rights bill limiting landlord restrictions; and New Mexico lawmakers introduced a new gun-control proposal that could expand purchase and possession restrictions.
》In HI on January 20th; the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Wolford v. Lopez, which challenges Hawaii’s “express permission” law that makes it illegal for licensed carriers to bring firearms onto private property open to the public unless the owner affirmatively allows it. The petitioners argue that this creates default "sensitive places" akin to government restrictions, lacking historical precedent under Bruen, while Hawaii defends it as respecting private property rights. Debrief: If upheld, the law effectively creates large “gun-free” z...
》Nationwide on January 15th; the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel issued a memorandum concluding that the federal ban on mailing handguns under 18 U.S.C. § 1715 is unconstitutional as applied to handguns, citing no historical tradition of such postal restrictions on protected arms post-Bruen. Debrief: This interpretation co...
》Nationwide on January 19th; reporting indicated the Department of Justice is reviewing and considering rollbacks of certain federal firearm regulations, including rules affecting private sales, shipping requirements, and purchase paperwork, as part of efforts to ease Biden-era ATF measures like those on pistol braces and ghost guns. Debrief: If impleme...
》Nationwide, ongoing as of late January; the U.S. Supreme Court continues to consider United States v. Hemani, a case challenging the federal prohibition on firearm possession by unlawful controlled-substance users under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), with oral arguments scheduled for March 2. The case stems from Ali Danial Hemani's indictment for possessing a firearm while using marijuana, cocaine, and promethazine; lower courts dismissed it as unconstitutional under Bruen for lacking historical analogues disarming non-violent users. Debrief: A ruling narro...
》In TN on January 20th; lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 350, which would prohibit landlords from banning tenants from possessing or storing lawful firearms in rental housing, subject to existing safety and storage laws. The measure applies to both residential and commercial leases, prevents eviction for firearm-related reasons, and provides tenants a cause of action for violations. Debrief: If enacted, t...
》In NM in late January; state lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 17, sponsored by Senators Micaelita Debbie O’Malley, Andrea Romero, and Heather Berghmans, that would expand restrictions on firearm sales and possession, with provisions to ban gas-operated semiautomatic firearms (including many popular AR-15 style rifles), .50 caliber rifles, magazines exceeding 10 rounds, and rate-increasing devices like bump stocks. It also imposes tighter dealer requirements such as mandatory video surveillance, annual inventory audits, secure storage mandates, employee age minimums of 21, and enhanced record-keeping with broader state enforcement authority. Debrief: (CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
BLUF: The Supreme Court heard Wolford v. Lopez on whether states can broadly bar carry on private property open to the public; DOJ signaled major reinterpretations and rollbacks affecting handgun transfers and federal gun rules; the Supreme Court continues to weigh United States v. Hemani on drug-user possession bans; Tennessee advanced a tenant gun-rights bill limiting landlord restrictions; and New Mexico lawmakers introduced a new gun-control proposal that could expand purchase and possession restrictions.
》In HI on January 20th; the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Wolford v. Lopez, which challenges Hawaii’s “express permission” law that makes it illegal for licensed carriers to bring firearms onto private property open to the public unless the owner affirmatively allows it. The petitioners argue that this creates default "sensitive places" akin to government restrictions, lacking historical precedent under Bruen, while Hawaii defends it as respecting private property rights. Debrief: If upheld, the law effectively creates large “gun-free” z...
》Nationwide on January 15th; the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel issued a memorandum concluding that the federal ban on mailing handguns under 18 U.S.C. § 1715 is unconstitutional as applied to handguns, citing no historical tradition of such postal restrictions on protected arms post-Bruen. Debrief: This interpretation co...
》Nationwide on January 19th; reporting indicated the Department of Justice is reviewing and considering rollbacks of certain federal firearm regulations, including rules affecting private sales, shipping requirements, and purchase paperwork, as part of efforts to ease Biden-era ATF measures like those on pistol braces and ghost guns. Debrief: If impleme...
》Nationwide, ongoing as of late January; the U.S. Supreme Court continues to consider United States v. Hemani, a case challenging the federal prohibition on firearm possession by unlawful controlled-substance users under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), with oral arguments scheduled for March 2. The case stems from Ali Danial Hemani's indictment for possessing a firearm while using marijuana, cocaine, and promethazine; lower courts dismissed it as unconstitutional under Bruen for lacking historical analogues disarming non-violent users. Debrief: A ruling narro...
》In TN on January 20th; lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 350, which would prohibit landlords from banning tenants from possessing or storing lawful firearms in rental housing, subject to existing safety and storage laws. The measure applies to both residential and commercial leases, prevents eviction for firearm-related reasons, and provides tenants a cause of action for violations. Debrief: If enacted, t...
》In NM in late January; state lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 17, sponsored by Senators Micaelita Debbie O’Malley, Andrea Romero, and Heather Berghmans, that would expand restrictions on firearm sales and possession, with provisions to ban gas-operated semiautomatic firearms (including many popular AR-15 style rifles), .50 caliber rifles, magazines exceeding 10 rounds, and rate-increasing devices like bump stocks. It also imposes tighter dealer requirements such as mandatory video surveillance, annual inventory audits, secure storage mandates, employee age minimums of 21, and enhanced record-keeping with broader state enforcement authority. Debrief: (CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
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Field Notes - Government Oversight: In the latest tranche of U.S. Department of Justice files regarding the Jeffrey Epstein’s investigation, one document is a draft federal announcement of Epstein’s death prepared by prosecutors that is dated August 9, 2019. Unless the data was typed in error, the document was written the day before Epstein was allegedly found unresponsive in his Manhattan jail cell on August 10th at approximately 6:30 am on Saturday. That draft, attributed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, recorded his death a full 24 hours earlier than the official discovery, and even listed Friday as the death date, raising questions about why such a statement existed before the event it purported to describe. For context, federal prison records and Department of Justice disclosures indicate that in the weeks before Jeffrey Epstein’s death in federal custody, prison staff ignored recommendations from the facility’s warden that he not be housed alone and that he receive 30-minute welfare checks and unannounced rounds. Epstein’s cellmate was transferred out the day before his death, and on the night of August 9, 2019, prison guards failed to perform two scheduled checks at about 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. The surveillance cameras in his unit were also not operational that night. Epstein was later found unresponsive in his cell shortly after 6:30 am on August 10, 2019 and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter after a transport. Psychological evaluation records from the period show that on July 24 and July 25, 2019, Epstein explicitly stated to a psychologist that he had no intention of killing himself, describing the idea as “crazy” and saying he was “too vested in my case” and wanted to continue living. These statements were documented prior to his death. For reference, the document read in part, "IMMEDIATE RELEASE...Friday, August 9, 2019 STATEMENT OF MANHATTAN U.S. ATTORNEY ON THE DEATH OF DEFENDANT...Earlier this morning, the Manhattan Correctional Center confirmed that Jeffrey Epstein, who faced charges brought by this Office of engaging in the sex trafficking of minors, had been found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead shortly thereafter." There were also vari...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
FYSA - Privacy / Commercial Oversight: Ring has deployed a new feature called “Search Party,” which uses machine learning and AI-powered computer vision to analyze footage from residential and commercial Ring cameras and the Ring Neighbors app network to assist a requesting party in locating lost pets. When a user reports a missing pet, the AI looks for visual matches from nearby participating cameras, and owners of those devices receive notifications and can choose to share clips and opt into the feature. Ring highlighted this capability in a Super Bowl LX commercial, which reached a large television audience and illustrated the feature’s use in reuniting pets with owners while emphasizing its AI-driven search functionality and community scope. Debrief: This technology raises privacy and surveillance concerns around Search Party related to aggregating and scanning video feeds at scale. The infrastructure also intersects with Ring’s data-sharing arrangements, such as the partnership with Flock Safety, which enables law enforcement to request footage through integrated platforms. Even voluntary systems can create pressure toward broader access and the normalization of continuous monitoring, and default opt-in or network participation settings increase the reach of AI scanning. Framing lost-dog recovery as a user benefit may lower resistance to activating and relying on this technology, which could later be applied or extended to other search or identification tasks, raising qu...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)
FYSA - Government Oversight: Interview summaries dated August 12, 2019 and March 12, 2020 describe surveillance failures at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) where Epstein was held, including an FBI agent knowingly deleting footage and a media-diversion decoy transport of Epstein’s body. These excerpts come from FBI FD-302 interview report continuation pages. An FD-302 is the FBI’s standard form for summarizing what a person said during an interview, written as an agent narrative rather than a verbatim trannoscript. The excerpts state that MCC’s video surveillance system was not functioning properly at the time of Epstein’s death and that some staff operated under the assumption someone was always watching, while only lieutenants could view the live feed. One highlighted passage says only one hard drive of the camera system was working on August 10, 2019, that when a DVR went bad none of the cameras recorded, and it describes failures involving “DVR 2” on July 29, a motherboard failure on August 8, and a hard drive failure on August 10. Another highlighted excerpt states that after the incident there were two new hard drives available, but installing them would mean prior data would be lost, and it further claims an FBI agent was the one who “pulled out the DVR,” with the interviewee saying he understood replacing both drives would wipe the system and that personnel at MCC had been advised of that. Separately, the page text notes that an employee was not aware the surveillance system was not functioning properly at the time of Epstein’s death. A separate FBI FD-302 interview report states that due to the large media presence outside MCC, an OCME official called and said he would arrive at the loading dock with a black vehicle. The document then says that in order to “thwart the media,” staff used boxes and sheets to create what appeared to be a human body, placed that decoy into a white OCME vehicle that the press followed, and this allowed the black vehicle to depart “unnoticed” with Epstein’s body. The passage presents this as a delibera...(CLASSIFIED, get briefs in real-time unredacted by joining at www.graymanbriefing.com)