News Wrap: U.S. vows ‘sustained’ military response to Iran-backed attacks

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• John Yang:

  Good evening. I'm John Yang. Top Biden administration officials said today they are not done yet with the dual military efforts to both retaliate for the killing of three U.S. troops in Jordan a week ago and to try to stop ongoing threats to commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

  For the last three days, U.S. planes have struck sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iran-backed militia groups and enjoyed operations with British forces. At least three dozen targets across six provinces in Yemen that Iran-backed Houthi rebels use to launch attacks on the Red Sea shipping national security Advisor Jake Sullivan on CBS's Face the Nation.

• Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Adviser:

  What happened on Friday was the beginning, not the end of our response, and that there will be more steps, some seen, some perhaps unseen. We will respond, and we will respond forcefully, and we will respond in a sustained way. I would not describe it as some open ended military campaign.

• John Yang:

  In a separate appearance, Sullivan would not rule out strikes inside Iran. And in Israel's war in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu detailed what constitutes his goal of eliminating Hamas, destroying the group's battalions, and neutralizing its networks of tunnels beneath Gaza.

  All this awaits secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who left today for his fifth trip to the region since the October 7th Hamas attacks. He's expected to push for more aid to Gaza and to try to spur negotiations aimed at freeing the Israelis still held by Hamas.

  A monster storm is bearing down on California, threatening flooding and mudslides. It's the second so called atmospheric river to hit the state in a week. Several communities in southern California, including Santa Barbara and Los Angeles have ordered or warned residents to evacuate. Rain is expected to last for the next few days.

  Moscow appointed officials say Ukrainian shelling has killed at least 28 people in a bakery in Russian occupied far eastern Ukraine. Ten people were pulled from the rubble. Both Ukrainian and Russian forces are increasingly relying on longer range attacks this winter as there's been little progress for either side on the front lines.

  In El Salvador, voters cast ballots on a presidential election that's seen as a choice between democracy and security. The incumbent is Nayib Bukele, the self-proclaimed world's coolest dictator. He's expected to win reelection after Salvador's top court reinterpreted a constitutional ban on presidents serving consecutive terms.

  Bukele gained fame for his two-year old brutal crackdown on gangs. More than 76,000 people have been arrested, and the president of Namibia died today while being treated for cancer. 82-year-old Hage Geingob was antiaparte activist and was largely credited for making Namibia one of Africa's most stable democracies. He was the nation's first prime minister when it gained independence in 1990 and had served as president since 2015.

  Still to come on PBS News Weekend, after the release of the Epstein files, we examine the challenges in policing sex trafficking. And a new category in tonight's Grammy Awards highlights the global appeal of African music.