The crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq has calmed down as demonstrators left the area. Violence erupted earlier this week after supporters of Iranian-backed militias attacked the facility. The turmoil has highlighted escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with Iraq stuck in the middle. Matthew Kroenig, an associate professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, joins CBSN to break down the latest developments. Source

Browse all of our full transcripts from 2020 of “Face the Nation” with Margaret Brennan Source

Former Housing Secretary Julián Castro announced he is dropping out of the presidential race. Castro, the only Latino in the crowded Democratic field, failed to gain a foothold among voters and lagged behind other candidates in the fundraising race. Source

U.S. Troops prepare to deploy to Middle East; the dark side of being a K-Pop music star Source

Several vehicles, including a semi-truck, were covered with tumbleweeds when strong winds blew them onto a highway in Washington State on New Year’s Eve. Authorities say the piles were as high as 20 to 30 feet in some places. Crews worked through the night to clear the roadway. It finally reopened early Wednesday morning. No injuries were reported. Source

A Minnesota boy and his family are raising money to give kids with color blindness a special pair of glasses that can color even the darkest corners of their worlds Source

Iowa Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer endorsed Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential bid, making her the first member of the state’s congressional delegation to publicly back a Democratic presidential candidate. Source

President Trump’s reelection campaign raked in $46 million in the final quarter of 2019, far outpacing Democratic competitors Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg. Source

New surveillance video appears to capture another anti-Semitic attack in New York. It’s the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting the Jewish community. The footage shows a 22-year-old Hasidic Jewish man defending himself before a woman punched him in the neck Wednesday. Police took two women into custody, and one is being charged with assault. Don Dahler reports from Brooklyn, where the attack happened. Source

Millions of Californians now have more rights than ever before when it comes to their personal online data. That includes the right to find out what’s been collected and ensure it is not sold. CBS News contributor and Wired Editor-in-Chief Nick Thompson requested the trove of data that was collected on him. He joins “CBS This Morning” to discuss what he found and how it could be used to reduce fraud. Source