Imminent Threat: As mourning ends for Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, one of Iran’s generals said, “We are ready to take a fierce revenge against America.” The NY Times reports that they are threatening a “proportional” response, which, if you take it literally, would mean killing an American general.

  The big talk gets bigger on both sides. After Iran announced it will make more enriched uranium, President Trump declared on Twitter that, “IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!” No doubt Iran will take that seriously because he wrote in all caps.

  As many as a million people jammed the streets of Tehran yesterday as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wept over the coffin of Gen. Suleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad. Authorities suspended  Suleimani’s burial after dozens of people were killed in the crush.

  Contradicting the President, which is not unusual in the Trump administration, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the US would not attack Iranian cultural targets if hostilities break out.

  Trump told reporters again yesterday that, “They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn’t work that way.”

  Yes, it does. Attacking cultural targets is an international war crime.

  Following the Iraqi parliament vote to eject US forces, someone in the Defense Department mistakenly sent a letter to the Iraqis saying the US was beginning its withdrawal. More chaos in the Trump administration. Correcting the record, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced that some forces are being repositioned inside Iraq, although not leaving the country. Other defense officials say some US forces are moving to Kuwait.

  Connecticut’s Democratic Sen. Christopher Murphy wrote on Twitter that, “The moment we all feared is likely upon us.” Murphy said, “An unstable President in way over his head, panicking, with all his experienced advisers having quit, and only the sycophantic amateurs remaining. Assassinating foreign leaders, announcing plans to bomb civilians. A nightmare.”

Waste of Time:  With the world wondering whether the killing of Suleimani will plunge the Middle East and the US into war, Trump was ranting on about his impeachment. “Congress & the President should not be wasting their time and energy on a continuation of the totally partisan Impeachment Hoax when we have so many important matters pending,” he wrote. 

  Congress officially returns to “work” today and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is still holding the articles of impeachment as she bargains for an actual trial in the Senate.

  Former National Security Adviser John Bolton, who refused to testify in the House impeachment inquiry, announced that he’s willing to testify if subpoenaed to the Senate trial. Of course, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is probably going to block the calling of witnesses. 

  Bolton probably knows as much as anyone about what President Trump did with Ukraine. He refused to testify before the House when he would be heard by the country, and now says he’s willing when he might never be called.

Earthquake: Puerto Rico was hit overnight by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that knocked out power all over the island. Some collapsed homes were reported and a man died when a wall fell on him.

  It was the strongest tremor yet in a week of busy seismic activity. Only yesterday a quake of 5.8 magnitude rocked the island.

Unchecked Bag: Japan issued a warrant for the arrest of Carole Ghosn, the American wife of former Nissan executive Carlos Ghosn, who ran away from criminal charges in that country. She’s accused of giving false testimony.

  Carlos Ghosn was criminal charges of financial shenanigans in Japan when he escaped by being smuggled out of the country in a packing case, according  to several news outlets.

  Ghosn was under house arrest in Tokyo but left, met two men, and took a bullet train to Osaka. There he checked into a hotel where the other men were later seen leaving with two large packing cases. Ghosn, loaded on a private plane inside a packing case with air holes in it, was flown to Turkey. Japanese authorities never checked the packing case.   

The Bulletin Board: Former presidential candidate Julián Castro has endorsed Elizabeth Warren. — Just as his trial was beginning in New York, prosecutors announced the indictment of disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein on four counts of sexual assault. — A Japanese sushi magnate paid $1.8 million for a 608-pound bluefin tuna. — The Impossible Foods company, makers of the Impossible Burger all veggie hamburger, announced that they are making fake pork and breakfast sausage.

Catnip: The Washington Post reports that some people are getting high on marijuana, magic mushrooms, and LSD to see the movie version of “Cats,” the Broadway musical.

  The sentimental show is about singing, dancing alley cats hoping to be reborn into the next of their nine lives. It is a cliché of middlebrow culture. 

  Some reviews from the tripping viewers:

“The most incredible cinematic experience of my life.”

“The most terrifying experience of my life. I swear to God my soul escaped me.”

“Cried both times. Planning on going two more times.”

“Vomited four times but ultimately understood the film on a deep level.”

“Had a panic attack in the middle of it . . . right after Taylor Swift sang ‘Macavity.’ ”

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