From the Left · Read · October 24, 2026
Oct 23 ยท U.S. intelligence chief Jay Clayton warns Iranian plots against Americans abroad have reached 'advanced stages'
CBS News: Iran has "increased efforts to target U.S. personnel," intel chief warns
Grade D (64/100). CBS News, which obtained the memo: what Clayton told Rubio, what the memo does not say, embassy staffing cuts and the military's quieter drawdown, Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia, and Trump's 'another little Epic Fury' remark
D: Uses an unnamed source or unsourced number and leaves out key context.
- Relies on an unnamed source or a number with no source (minus 18 points): 'A U.S. official and a senior U.S. military official also told CBS News this week that the military has been quietly reducing its footprint' (unnamed sources on a secondary point)
- Leaves out something important (minus 18 points): no response from Iran's government is sought or reported
Splits: CBS News, which obtained the memo: what Clayton told Rubio, what the memo does not say, embassy staffing cuts and the military's quieter drawdown, Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia, and Trump's 'another little Epic Fury' remark
Same story: Scripps News, Fox News