Weather: 36° Mostly cloudy. Tonight is 21° with A few flurries or snow showers possible A coating to 1 inch of snow is possible 

Mid winter break some schools have off today

-Heavy traffic on Oak street tonight

Fire at Shiras Devorah high school on Oak street as smoke was detected coming  from the basement during rehearsal for a play. Hundreds of girls were safely evacuated as authorities investigate the cause of smoke.

- The nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran are expected to take place in Oman on Friday, instead of  Turkey. Negotiations are still ongoing about whether Arab and Muslim countries from the region will join the talks in Oman. Axios

- Structure Fire at the Jackson 21 development at homes under construction no reports of injuries as crews battle the blaze

- Prsident Donald J. Trump on Iran:

“They're all over it, but they are negotiating. They'd like to do something, and we'll see if something is gonna be done. They had a chance to do something a while ago, and it didn't work out, and we did Midnight Hammer. I don't think they want that happening again, but they would like to negotiate. We are negotiating with them right now, yes.”

- President Donald J. Trump unveiled the first public rendering of a proposed White House Ballroom, calling it the greatest of its kind ever built. The plan would replace the East Wing with a historically matching ballroom designed to serve the nation for centuries.

- Trump signs the spending bill, ending the partial government shutdown.

- On Talkline with Zev Brenner, Netanel Weiss ex con responds to a viral YouTube video that many say falsely portrays Orthodox Jewish communities in Lakewood and Kiryas Joel.

Watch HERE

- US House pases funding bill that will officially end the government shutdown in a 217-214 vote. It's now on the way to President Trump's desk.

- Chat GPT is down, people have to use their brains.

- Nancy Guthrie disappearance TMZ reported receiving an unverified ransom note Tuesday morning demanding millions in Bitcoin to a specific address, with a deadline, threats, and case-specific details They've forwarded it to authorities; authenticity unconfirmed.The White House posted support praying for the family and echoing calls for public help as .Search continues urgently

- In an interview with News12NJ this morning, Governor Mikie Sherrill says she spoke with President Trump last week - her first conversation with the part-time New Jersey resident since taking office on January 20. She spoke with the President about the importance of the Gateway tunnel project and the economic impact it will have on the entire region.(Onejersey) 

-The Iranians are backing away from the understandings: demanding to move the negotiations with the US from Turkey to Oman The White House confirms, the talks with Iran are still taking place as planned this week

- Giyus: Israel Channel 13 reports The Belz and Karlin Rebbes took an active role in drafting the religious guidelines for integrating Charedim into the IDF. Their representatives attended meetings with the army and approved the directive clauses, signaling mainstream Charedi support and facilitating implementation.

No Women, Full Religious Enforcement: IDF approves Charedi service tracks with strict gender segregation, mandatory Torah study, religious commanders, phone censorship, and rabbinical oversight. Soldiers declare themselves Charedi; uniforms optional, kashrus strictly observed.

- PSA: With snow still piled up on township roads, many two-way streets are reduced to a single lane, leaving cars facing each other. Instead of turning it into a battle of egos, the solution is to slow down early and assess who has a nearby pull-off, driveway, or wider spot. The driver who can move aside more easily should stop and yield rather than squeeze past, using a quick headlight flash or hand wave to communicate. Keeping wheels straight, avoiding deep snow, and exercising patience and clear communication help traffic move safely without sliding or causing accidents.

- Lakewood Township  DPW crews are clearing snow along streets using tractors, dump trucks, and tow trucks to move cars, but piles and mounds remain at street corners, blocking sidewalks and forcing pedestrians into the road.

- Pescada Dairy Restaurant in Jackson, NJ now open

- Bingo has superbowl specials only for the five towns location, the Salmon special of $6.00 ends today for all locations 

- Lakewood Planning Board meeting tonight 6 pm watch livestream here

 last meeting stream was not working properly agenda here 

 includes an application from Congregation Skver Yeshiva of Lakewood Inc. at 711 West Kennedy Boulevard, requesting a site plan exemption to convert a former Elk’s Lodge into a school. Also on the agenda is a request from Block 458 LLC, near Prospect (Cross Street), to adjust approved interior lot lines from a previously approved application of 40 lots.

- Giyus: Calls for large protests tomorrow at induction centers across the country as the IDF plans a day of recruitment for the charedi community 

- Giyus: IDF warns of manpower crisis if ultra-Orthodox Jews not drafted by March

The IDF plans to call up more Charedi soldiers to prevent a readiness gap in January 2027, when 2,500 combat troops will be released. It issued a formal order detailing Charedi service pathways, building on programs like Chashmonaim and Magen, Expanding Charedi enlistment depends on government action, and the IDF also supports extending mandatory service from 30–32 to 36 months.

- Iran and the United States will resume nuclear talks on Friday in Turkey,and US President Donald Trump warned that with US warships heading to Iran, “bad things” would probably happen if a deal could not be reached.

-Yeshiva Bais Hachinuch High School in Lakewood has informed parents that it will close at the end of the year and will assist in placing all 10th and 11th grade bochurim in other yeshivos.

- Mesivta farhers begin tomorrow 9am

-More and more YouTubers and copycats are now posting videos claiming to “document fraud” in the Lakewood area, yet none present real evidence. They selectively focus on one community, and when called out for fueling antisemitism, they deny any targeting and brush off the criticism. In reality, Community members are ignoring their attempts at interviews or trolling them,

- Starting Feb. 1, travelers without REAL ID-compliant identification must pay $45 for TSA’s new ConfirmID program. The receipt is valid for 10 days after that, travelers must pay again if they still lack a REAL ID or other accepted ID. There is no free option; travelers must either use a REAL ID/acceptable ID or pay the fee..

- Israeli startup Remilk launched New Milk, a cow-free, lab-made milk protein now parve kosher, meaning it can be eaten with meat. Rabbi Moshe Elefant of the OU said, “Is this parve? The answer is yes. May this be mixed with meat? The answer is yes. Now you or me or anyone may feel that this is a violation of the spirit of the law, which I respect, but I can’t legislate based on that.” Other kashrus agencies cited issues with Maaras Ayin. Restaurants like Tel Aviv’s Bodega Burger see it as a chance to expand kosher menus with new dishes previously not possible under kosher law. More 

-Footage out of Zohran Mamdani’s New York City, captured by NY Scoop, is going viral, showing homeless people sitting over manholes for warmth as snow and garbage line the streets, while 16 people have already died from the cold

- Amid a potential state takeover, the Lakewood Board of Education approved corrective action plans targeting excessive salaries and chronic student absences. An audit found the board attorney was paid $50,000 per month rather than by billable hours, prompting new policies to review legal payments for compliance. The district also addressed chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of sessions, noting improvement from 25.1% in 2021–22 to 15.6% in 2023–24.(njspotlight)

- Trump: “Why hasn’t the Fake News New York Times adjusted its phony article on the corruption and antisemitism which has taken place at Harvard. They never call for facts, or factchecks, because the Times’ is a corrupt, unprincipled, and pathetic vehicle of the Left. They wrote only negatively about me in the last Election, and I won in a landslide. To anyone who knows, they have ZERO credibility, a “Rag” at the lowest level. I look forward to watching their rapidly falling circulation force them to finally close their doors. That would be great news for America!”

-Boys from the Special Children’s Center in Lakewood took a midwinter trip to Artscroll headquarters, where they experienced the printing process firsthand and received a bracha from Rabbi Nosson Sherman and met with Reb Gedalia Zlotowitz.

-NYT: Iran is ready to close or suspend its nuclear program to ease tensions with the US but prefers the American proposal from the summer, according to which a regional consortium for uranium enrichment will be established.

-As New Jersey enters budget season under Gov. Mikie Sherrill, lawmakers are revisiting school district consolidation to cut costs. The state’s 600+ districts far exceed most states, though mergers have historically faced limited local support.

- Major U.S. homebuilders are reportedly exploring a plan, informally called “Trump Homes,” to build up to one million new homes. The initiative aims to address housing shortages and affordability while aligning with President Trump’s economic priorities, though it remains in early discussion and has not been officially announced.

-  The U.S. military today ntercepted and shot down an Iranian drone that flew toward the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. A U.S. official told Reuters the drone was an Iranian Shahed-139 and was downed by an American F-35 fighter jet as it approached the carrier.

Satmar Rebbe durung Mitzvah tantz at Satmar wedding last night in Williamsburg