Axios

"For decades, those living in Iran's provincial towns and villages were regarded as the backbone of the country's Islamic regime. They tended to be conservative, averse to change and pious followers of the sober Islamic lifestyle promoted by the state," N.Y. Times Tehran bureau chief Thomas Erdbrink writes:

"In less than a decade, all that has changed. A 14-year drought has emptied villages, with residents moving to nearby cities where they often struggle to find jobs. Access to satellite television and, more important, the mobile internet has widened their world."

Be smart: These small town have now led a rolling uprising that has thrown Iranian politics and life into chaos. And they have done the unthinkable: unified a lot of America leaders in cheering them on.

North Korea and South Korea spoke directly today on a phone line that hadn't been used since 2016, per CNN. The rare diplomatic contact — initiated by the North — comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed a desire for his country's athletes to take part in next month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Why it matters: Any contact between the two nations is a positive sign, especially after a war of words on Twitter that featured President Trump threatening a nuclear exchange against the North. This development plays into South Korean President Moon Jae-in's hope that the Pyeongchang Games could bring about positive movements toward peace between the two Koreas.

North Korea "appears to be in the early stages of a launch cycle for another intercontinental ballistic missile test," CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports. South Korea just proposed a high-level meeting near the border between the two countries after the North suggested they discuss peace.

The activity is at the same site from which the North launched an ICBM two months ago, per CBS. The test would likely take place later this week or next, Martin reports.

UN Ambassador Nikki Haley solidified America's support for the Iranian protestors during a press conference outlining her 2018 priorities, and said the U.S. will call for an emergency session on Iran in New York and in Geneva at the Human Rights Council.

"In these first days of 2018, nowhere is the urgency of peace, security, and freedom being more tested than in Iran. We applaud the tremendous courage of the Iranian people ... This is a precise picture of people rising up against an oppressive dictatorship. The UN must speak out. We must not be silent. The people of Iran are crying out for freedom."

First look at a dire warning from one of the top analysts of global trends — Ian Bremmer, president and founder of Eurasia Group, and Eurasia Group Chairman Cliff Kupchan are out this morning with their "Top Risks" report for 2018:

The big picture: "2018 doesn't feel good. Yes, markets are soaring and the economy isn't bad, but citizens are divided. Governments aren't doing much governing. And the global order is unraveling."