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JERUSALEM – In a powerful and emotional interview aired on N12’s Uvda, former hostage Amit Soussana shared for the first time that Liri Albag “saved my life” during her harrowing 55 days in Hamas captivity. Soussana, a 40-year-old lawyer from Kfar Aza, was taken hostage during the October 7, 2023, attack. She has since become an outspoken advocate for the release of the remaining hostages and the first to publicly reveal the sexual abuse she endured at the hands of her captors.

In the interview, Soussana recounted the terrifying moments of her abduction. She was captured by ten armed men, and in a desperate attempt to buy time for a rescue, she fought back for over 40 minutes. “I gave everything I had because I thought I was going to die,” Soussana recalled. “At the time, I wasn’t sure if they would kill me or not. As far as I’m concerned, Liri saved my life.”

Soussana’s interview highlighted the severe abuse she endured during captivity. She was alone at the start, tied up with a thick metal chain and subjected to physical violence, including blows to her face. Her captor also made unsettling sexual advances under the pretense of concern, further traumatizing her.

Despite these atrocities, Soussana’s spirit remained unbroken. The small bit of daylight that filtered into her cell was her only comfort. “I was afraid of him, but I held on,” she said, recalling the psychological toll of being isolated and at the mercy of her captors.

Soussana’s bravery in the face of such horrors and the support of figures like Liri Albag have made her a symbol of resilience. After being released in a prisoner exchange in November 2023, she continues to advocate for the safe return of the hostages still held in Gaza, urging the world to remember their plight.

Her testimony, along with her unwavering determination, sheds light on the human cost of the ongoing conflict and the ongoing fight for justice for all hostages.

1 hour ago

BOROUGH PARK – Rav Moshe Zoberman, a widely known and respected Torah scholar and talmid chacham, passed away this morning at the age of 72 following a lengthy illness.

For the past 10 years, Rav Zoberman had been bedridden, with the Jewish community continuously praying for his refuah (recovery) throughout this time.

Rav Zoberman was an influential figure, revered for his deep insights into Torah and halacha.

A towering figure in the Borough Park Jewish community, Rav Zoberman was known for his shiurim, which inspired countless students with their clarity, depth, and intellectual rigor. His humility and unwavering dedication to Torah learning made him a beloved teacher and mentor to many.

Rav Zoberman’s passing marks the loss of a giant, and his contributions to Torah scholarship will continue to inspire future generations. The levaya will take place at 10 AM at Bobov Shul in Borough Park.

2 hours ago

YS GOLD 

With great sadness and anguish, the Boro Park community took in the news of the passing of one of the great Rabbonim and marbitzei Torah in the community. Rav Moshe Zoberman passed away this morning at the age of 72 following a lengthy illness. 

He was renowned far and wide for his shiurim which were delivered to thousands of people with crystal clarity - both in the Bobover Beis Medrash as well as at Khal Shomrei Shabbos. 

Rav Moshe was the son of Rav Elkonoh Zoberman, the Yardinover Rov, and the son in law of Rav Avrohom Baruch Rosenberger ABD Gamzu. 

He was a tremendous talmid chochom who had mastered all areas of Torah, and for decades, he was one of the greatest marbitzei Torah in the Boro Park community - in addition to the thousands who listened in to his recorded shiurim from around the world. 

Alas, he was forced to give up this great calling when he was stricken with illness for the last number of years, even as his recorded shiurim continued to sustain and inspire the masses. 

He returned his pure neshamah to its Creator this morning at the age of 72, leaving behind a beautiful Torah family of bnei Torah and rabbonim and marbitzei Torah. 

In a rare move, the Bobover Rebbe instructed the chevra kaddisha to hold the levaya inside the great Bobover Beis Medrash, in the same place where he delivered his Shiurim every morning, as a sign of respect and reverence to the great niftar who had spoken so many words of Torah within those very walls. The levaya will begin at 10:00. 

From Bobov, the levaya will proceed to Shomrei Shabbos on 13th Avenue where the niftar delivered nightly shiurim for many years. 

Kevurah will be on the Bobover Beis Hachaim in NJ. 

Yehi zichro Baruch. 

2 hours ago

JERUSALEM – In a heartfelt show of solidarity, the public has been urged to wear orange today, Wednesday, January 29, 2025, to honor the Bibas family, whose loved ones remain in captivity after being taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. Shiri and Yarden Bibas, along with their young sons Ariel, 5, and Kfir, 2, were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the attack, and the family’s supporters are rallying together to raise awareness and keep their story alive.

The campaign encourages people to wear orange clothing, use orange accessories, or tie ribbons or balloons in public spaces such as cars, balconies, or offices. The color orange, inspired by the bright red hair of the Bibas boys, has become a symbol of the family’s plight, with the slogan “The people of Israel haven’t forgotten the Bibas family!” resonating across social media.

While the Bibas family remains hopeful for the safe return of their loved ones, they continue to face uncertainty. Despite the fact that Shiri and the boys were not among the first group of hostages released as part of recent ceasefire negotiations, the family has refused to give up hope. In a recent statement, the Bibas family said, “We hold on to hope and continue waiting for their return. We await clarity regarding their condition.”

The family’s ongoing struggle was compounded by a recent report of a list provided by Hamas, which claimed that eight of the remaining 26 hostages to be freed in the current ceasefire negotiations are dead. The Bibas family expressed caution, stressing that such claims cannot be taken as definitive. “Even a list of names, an announcement by Hamas, or any video is not considered certainty for us,” they said.

Today’s orange solidarity event serves as a reminder that the Bibas family is not forgotten, and that the Israeli people and supporters around the world stand united with them. The campaign aims to show the Bibas family that they are in the thoughts of many, as they continue to wait for any news that might bring their loved ones home.

The Bibas family’s resilience and their refusal to give up on their hope for a reunion reflect the heartache and uncertainty faced by countless families affected by the ongoing conflict. As the public colors the country in orange today, the event is not only a call for solidarity, but a reminder of the humanitarian crisis that continues to unfold. The campaign encourages people to hold on to the hope that, one day, the Bibas family will be reunited.

2 hours ago

By BoroPark24 Staff

A bizarre incident unfolded this morning when firefighters responded to a kitchen fire at a home near 60th Street, Bay Parkway, and 20th Avenue, only to find that the blaze had been intentionally set by the resident.

FDNY arrived at around 8:50 AM and quickly extinguished the flames before they could spread further. Upon questioning, the tenant told responders that he had started the fire because he was “overcome by angels.” Given his erratic behavior, authorities arrested the man at the scene.

No injuries were reported, and the situation remains under investigation.

The person was arrested on the scene.

2 hours ago

The Trump administration revealed on Tuesday a drastic initiative to downsize the federal workforce, offering financial incentives to employees who voluntarily resign by next week. This sweeping measure aims to rapidly reduce the size of the U.S. government at an unprecedented pace.

A directive from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which handles human resources for federal employees, stated that all government workers would soon be held to “enhanced standards of suitability and conduct.” The message also hinted at more reductions ahead. In an email sent to employees, the administration outlined the buyout terms: those who agree to step down will receive approximately seven months’ salary, but they must finalize their decision by February 6.

Donald Trump, who has built his political brand on upending Washington’s status quo, has pledged that his second term will push those efforts even further than before. However, the impact of so many government employees being encouraged to leave their positions remains difficult to measure.

With more than 3 million people on its payroll, the federal government ranks as the 15th largest employer in the country. An analysis of OPM data conducted by the Pew Research Center found that the average length of service for a federal worker is close to 12 years.

If even a small percentage of employees take the buyout, the effects could ripple through the economy, leading to major disruptions in essential services. The potential consequences are far-reaching and largely unpredictable, affecting the speed, efficiency, and availability of government programs nationwide.

A mass departure could mean a shortage of crucial personnel, including healthcare providers in Veterans Affairs hospitals, officials responsible for processing home and small business loans, and defense contractors working on military technology. The loss of experienced food safety inspectors, scientists monitoring water quality, and regulators overseeing transportation and consumer protections could further strain federal operations.

Reacting to the announcement, Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees union, argued that the initiative was less about voluntary resignations and more about pressuring staffers who are not aligned with the administration to vacate their positions.

“Purging the federal government of dedicated career federal employees will have vast, unintended consequences that will cause chaos for the Americans who depend on a functioning federal government,” Kelley said in a statement. “Between the flurry of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is clear that the Trump administration’s goal is to turn the federal government into a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to.”

In the OPM email outlining the initiative, four new workforce policies were introduced, which the agency said reflect Trump’s directives for federal employees. One major change requires the majority of workers to return to in-person work.

“The substantial majority of federal employees who have been working remotely since Covid will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week,” the memo states. This aligns with Trump’s recent remarks about federal employees, in which he declared: “You have to go to your office and work. Otherwise you’re not going to have a job.”

The document further asserts that Trump’s administration “will insist on excellence at every level,” and while some areas of government may see hiring increases, “The majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized.”

Additionally, the administration’s stance is that “the federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work.”

“Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward,” the memo continues. “Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination.”

The email also includes a formal resignation template for those interested in the buyout offer.

“If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30,” the message states.

Employees who wish to accept are given simple instructions: “If you wish to resign: Select ‘Reply’ to this email. You must reply from your government account.” The email further directs, “Type the word ‘Resign’ into the body of this email and hit ‘send.’”

Meanwhile, OPM has issued new guidelines following an executive order Trump signed on his first day back in office, titled “Schedule Career/Policy.” This replaces “Schedule F,” a controversial policy Trump attempted to implement at the end of his first term, which sought to reclassify thousands of federal employees as political appointees, stripping them of traditional job protections.

President Joe Biden immediately revoked Schedule F upon taking office in 2021. Under his leadership, OPM later established rules making it more difficult to dismiss career government workers, aiming to shield them from politically motivated firings.

That effort was seen as a way to block the implementation of policies like those in Project 2025, a conservative think tank’s plan that envisions reducing the federal workforce and replacing many employees with individuals more aligned with right-wing policy goals.

Nevertheless, the Trump administration is pressing ahead with its effort to overhaul the government workforce, limiting employees’ ability to contest job reassignments or terminations.

On Monday, Trump’s OPM set deadlines for agencies to begin the process of recommending employees for reclassification. Leaders of each federal agency must designate a point of contact by Wednesday and start submitting preliminary recommendations within the next 90 days.

“Agencies are encouraged to submit recommendations on a rolling basis before this date,” Charles Ezell, the acting OPM director, noted in a memo.

Perhaps most significantly, Trump’s personnel office has taken the extraordinary step of disregarding the Biden administration’s 2024 rule designed to strengthen job protections for federal employees. According to the OPM memo issued Monday, Trump’s new executive order overrides those regulations entirely.

Monday’s document states that Trump’s directive relied on “the president’s authority ‘to directly nullify these regulations.'”

{Matzav.com}

1 hour ago

Dear Matzav Inbox, 

I have an overwhelming sense of disgust and frustration over the growing trend of young bochurim, some as young as in 5th and 6th grade, who are now vaping in places like shul and supermarkets. What has become of us as a community, when young boys are engaging in this dangerous and disturbing habit?

The prevalence of vaping among our boys has reached epidemic proportions in my opinion, and it is time that we, as a community, address it head-on.

Vaping involves inhaling the chemicals and toxins found in e-cigarettes, and it has quickly spread through our communities like wildfire. And yet, for reasons I cannot comprehend, it is being allowed to proliferate unchecked, even among those who are not yet teenagers.

We are seeing children in shul sneaking puffs of these poisonous devices. We are witnessing bochurim becoming addicted to something that not only damages their health but their future as well.

This is not just a harmless teenage rebellion. It is a serious problem, a machlah that is eating away at our bochurim.

I went to a chasunah last night. On my way out, I will tell you that every second bochur was vaping.

The long-term effects of inhaling these toxic chemicals are still not fully known. We are watching these young boys turn to substances that poison their bodies.

But it isn’t just about the health risks. What are we telling these boys about self-discipline, self-control, and respect for themselves and for others? What are we teaching them about the values that should be instilled in them? Are we supposed to simply look away?

And where are the parents in all of this? How are these young children getting their hands on these devices in the first place? How can we, as a community, stand by as these young boys turn to such an addictive and dangerous practice, often without even understanding the consequences of their actions?

Parents need to be vigilant, active, and involved in their children’s lives, making sure that they are not only steering clear of physical dangers but also the spiritual dangers that come with falling prey to such addictions. One thing leads to another.

Let us not kid ourselves into thinking that this is just a “phase” or something that will blow over. We have seen this pattern before with other issues in our community, where we turn a blind eye until the problem becomes so widespread and ingrained that it is nearly impossible to fix. We cannot afford to let vaping become another epidemic that ruins the lives of our young boys and bochurim.

It is imperative that we educate our children, from the youngest age, about the dangers of vaping, and instill in them a sense of responsibility for their health, their future, and their kehillah.

Let us stand together as a community and put an end to this scourge that is threatening to ruin our youth.

Sincerely,
A Concerned Parent

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28 minutes ago

WHITE HOUSE (VINnews) — Mishpacha’s Jake Turx asked a question at the first press briefing of the Trump 2.0 administration. Turx asked if there is an investigation into President Biden’s removal of the label “terrorist” from the Houthi terror group.

Interestingly, one social media influencer reported that the question had actually been asked by “Klal Yisrael” (roughly translated as the Nation of Israel.)

Mishpacha magazine’s @JakeTurx gets Q at the first WH press briefing pic.twitter.com/TQjYW3MxAb

— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) January 28, 2025

Podcaster Saagar Enjeti listed the names of reporters who asked questions at today’s briefing on X. One of the names is ‘Klal Yisroel”

Saagar apparently checked Jake Turx’s bio on X and thought ‘Klal Yisrael’ is his actual name. (Turx DOES represent the Jewish people).

18 hours ago

Federal health officials have expanded their recall of 13-ounce bags of Frito-Lay potato chips due to concerns that the products may contain undeclared milk, which could pose a fatal risk to consumers.

Earlier last month, the Food and Drug Administration had reported that Frito-Lay was voluntarily recalling a small batch of products.

“Those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the recalled product,” the FDA warned in a notice released on December 16.

This week, the agency clarified the potential danger by classifying the recall as a “Class 1” recall — the highest possible level of alert.

The FDA further noted that consuming these chips could lead to “serious adverse health consequences or death.”

The recall impacts products distributed in Washington and Oregon, and it was triggered in December after a customer informed the company about the potential issue.

Milk is one of the FDA’s eight major allergens, and it can cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, including symptoms such as hives, cramps, dizziness, swollen vocal cords, and even unconsciousness.

The severity of the recall is underscored by its classification, which highlights the serious risks associated with the allergen’s presence in the products.

Frito-Lay, in a statement, reassured consumers that no allergic reactions linked to this recall have been reported so far.

The company also made it clear that no other Lay’s products, including other flavors, sizes, or variety packs, are involved in this recall, emphasizing that this is a singular incident.

Consumers who have purchased the affected chips are urged to dispose of them immediately, especially if anyone in their household has a milk allergy.

The recalled chips can be identified by a “guaranteed fresh” date of February 11 and a manufacturing code of either “6462307xx” or “6463307xx.”

This recall is part of a broader issue of undeclared allergens in food, with several other products being recalled by the FDA in January for the same issue.

The products recalled include NuGo Granola Bars, Pearl Milling Company Pancake & Waffle Mix, New York Mutual Trading Co. Monkfish Liver, Monkey Spit Barbecue Sauces (which also contained undeclared wheat and soy), and Shirakiku Snack Corn Puffs.

Additionally, numerous other food items were recalled in January for undeclared allergens beyond milk, such as wheat, eggs, soy, and almonds.

Consumers in Washington and Oregon who have purchased the affected Lay’s Classic Potato Chips with the specified date and manufacturing codes are advised to discard them immediately.

Anyone with concerns or questions should reach out to Frito-Lay for more details or seek refunds through their point of purchase.

As food safety continues to be a priority, the FDA remains vigilant in addressing concerns over undeclared allergens and urges manufacturers to maintain transparency in labeling to protect consumers from potential health hazards.

{Matzav.com}

15 hours ago

Mosab Hassan Youssef, the son of a senior Hamas figure and a former Shin Bet  agent who now promotes Israel’s agenda abroad, analyzed in a candid interview with Arab affairs expert Tzvi Yehezkeli on i24NEWS the complex situation in Israel and Gaza. He addressed the events of October 7th and the subsequent war, emphasizing Hamas’s inhumanity and the use of children as human shields.

“This is not a normal situation,” Mosab Youssef, known as “The Green Prince”, began. “What happened on October 7th and afterward, the use of children as human shields, the sacrificing of thousands of people for ‘Palestine’… this is unprecedented. Humanity has never been in such a situation. There is no country or nation that would willingly enter a scenario where parents are ready to sacrifice their children for political and financial gain, to make a political statement or to gain sympathy from the world.”

בלעדי: סיפורו של מוסעב חסן יוסף, המכונה “הנסיך הירוק”, הפך מוכר מאוד בעולם לאחר פרסום ספרו “בן החמאס” לפני 16 שנה. מי שהיה פעיל חמאס, ישב בכלא בישראל וגויס לשב”כ, ישוחח מחר לראשונה עם קהל ישראלי בתל אביב. הריאיון המלא עם צבי יחזקאלי ישודר בשבוע הבא ב-i24NEWS pic.twitter.com/01I6HK5grX

— i24NEWS (@i24NEWS_HE) January 28, 2025

Mosab, visibly pained, added: “Show me one example from history where a society chose to do something so idiotic. And this is what Israel is dealing with right now. It’s very complicated. It’s a situation where you lose no matter what, not because Israel is weak, but because it’s a lost cause. Hamas left Israel no choice but to respond.”

“In the meantime, Hamas’s leadership decided to sink the ship with everyone on board, in a suicidal move,” Mossab continued. “So in this case, it was doomed from October 7th. You can’t win after something like that.”

According to him, “Releasing the hostages and paying a heavy price to bring them back is not a mistake. It shows humanity and how important the hostages are to Israeli society. At the same time, it shows how reckless the parents and leaders on the other side were for sacrificing children.”

“The story is not about who wins and who loses in this war,” Mossab clarified. “Hamas decided a long time ago to sink the ship with everyone on board. So now, if the question is about the right strategy… there is no such thing. We have to deal with this impossible situation, day by day, moment by moment, and we have to be spontaneous and respond accordingly.”

“If today we have the option to release some of the hostages, and if that means stopping the attacks, I am in favor,” Mossab declared. “As long as we bring people back alive. But this will not continue forever. The number of hostages is limited, and Hamas cannot play this game forever. Eventually, they will have to pay for the crimes they have committed and continue to commit.”

When asked about releasing terrorists, Mossab responded: “Those who have murdered cannot erase their crimes. Hamas has killed thousands of innocent civilians over 36 years of terrorism.”

“Today we are thinking about the families of the hostages,” Mossab said. “But did we think about the families of the victims of Hamas terrorism who are now seeing the release of the criminals who killed their children, and they are going free without paying for what they did?”

In conclusion, Mossab said: “It’s not about how many hostages we bring back and how many terrorists we release, but about what this reflects for society. One society does everything in its power to save one life, and the other society sacrifices everything to save an idea, an ideology. This is what we are dealing with, and if the public understands this, then that alone is a victory for humanity. Justice will be done.”

5 hours ago

A tutor at a Lakewood school is being credited for saving a choking boy by immediately performing the Heimlich maneuver.

The tutor was sitting in an office today when the boy walked in choking on a candy, and unable to breathe. Without hesitation, the tutor jumped up and immediately began performing the Heimlich maneuver, while the one he was talking to got on the phone to call Hatzolah.

After several thrusts, the item was dislodged from the boy’s throat.

As Hashgacha would have it, the school’s owner tells TLS the tutor was supposed to leave about 15 minutes prior, but stayed behind and was there to save the child.

12 hours ago

The Belzer kehillah in Yerushalayim has introduced a creative and practical solution to help chassidim stay informed about the timing of the Belzer Rebbe’s tisch. Given that the schedule often changes, the community needed a reliable way to communicate the Rebbe’s arrival at the tisch on leil Shabbos.

Months ago, a chossid living near Kikar Belz devised a simple yet effective solution: raising a white flag to signal the start of the tisch. This allowed chassidim in the area to prepare for the Rebbe’s arrival. However, the solution has now been upgraded to a more sophisticated system.

In place of the flag, a special flashing projector has been installed atop a tall pole. The light operates similarly to a patented Shabbos lamp, with a cover that, when removed, allows the light to flash brightly, signaling the start of the tisch. The flashing light can be seen from afar, ensuring that chassidim from as far as Shamgar and Tnuva are alerted to rush to join the Rebbe.

The new system is expected to streamline the process and improve the experience for the Belzer kehillah, ensuring that no one misses the tisch, regardless of schedule changes.

{Matzav.com Israel}

14 hours ago

On the first day of the Trump administration’s major operation targeting illegal immigrants, five individuals with extensive criminal histories were arrested in New York City, according to The NY Post.

In Queens, a Mexican national with a prior arrest for attempted murder was taken into custody, while another Mexican man, previously charged with three separate counts of rape and sexual assault, was apprehended in the Bronx, law enforcement officials reported.

Meanwhile, in upper Manhattan, a Dominican national who was wanted for a double murder back in his home country was also captured by authorities.

These arrests were part of a series carried out by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on Monday, with additional federal agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), joining in to make more arrests.

The operation began in New York City early Tuesday morning, starting in the Bronx, and expanded to all five boroughs by the end of the day.

Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, even participated in the operation, traveling in an armored vehicle while agents forcibly entered apartments and arrested suspects, handcuffing them.

One of the first individuals arrested was “a criminal alien with kidnapping, assault and burglary charges,” according to Noem.

Among those detained was Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, a 25-year-old member of the violent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, who is suspected of being involved in an armed break-in at an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado, an incident that has come to symbolize the ongoing border crisis.

These raids in New York City came after President Trump ordered a nationwide initiative aimed at arresting and deporting illegal immigrants, beginning with sanctuary cities as the primary targets.

Last week, over 7,300 illegal immigrants were arrested across the United States, with 1,179 taken into custody on Sunday alone. Tom Homan, Trump’s newly appointed border czar, has stated that millions are expected to be deported by the time the operation concludes.

Soon after being sworn in for a second term on January 20, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and deployed 1,500 U.S. military troops to assist with enforcement.

Within just a few days, there was already a noticeable reduction in the number of migrants crossing the border, with Fox News reporting fewer than 600 people encountered on Sunday—about half the number seen the previous week during the final days of the Biden administration, and far fewer than the 6,000-plus daily encounters at the height of the crisis.

{Matzav.com}

4 hours ago

Karoline Leavitt delivered her first official White House press briefing Tuesday afternoon – becoming the youngest White House press secretary to take the podium.

Leavitt, 27, was met with sharp questions from journalists about President Donald Trump’s busy first week back in the White House. While it was her first time engaging with reporters in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Leavitt already has experience serving as a fierce defender of Trump before the media.

As national press secretary, Leavitt spent much of the 2024 presidential race as a public-facing spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, shooting off at times combative statements via email to reporters and boosting Trump’s talking points in appearances on conservative and national media, such as Fox News. During the first Trump administration, she worked in the White House communications office.

“Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator. I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we, Make America Great Again,” Trump said in a November statement when he tapped her for the position.

It is unclear how often Leavitt plans to hold news briefings. During Trump’s first term, he had four press secretaries – Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham and Kayleigh McEnany – and Grisham never once held a briefing from the podium.

Leavitt is the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary.

She has touted her Gen Z credentials in the past, having launched her own congressional campaign at the age of 23 to represent her hometown in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District. She beat a more moderate Republican in the 2022 primary but ultimately failed to unseat incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas (D).

Leavitt studied at St. Anselm College, a Catholic liberal arts college in New Hampshire, where she was one of a small number of conservatives on campus. Though her childhood dream was to become a broadcast reporter, Leavitt took an internship at the White House under the Trump administration after graduating in 2019 and worked up to the job of assistant press secretary.

After Trump’s loss in the 2020 election, Leavitt worked as communications director for Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York), who is Trump’s nominee for U.N. ambassador. Leavitt helped Stefanik as she campaigned to replace then-Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming), a frequent target of Trump’s attacks, as GOP conference chair.

During the 2024 race, Leavitt accompanied Trump to rallies, campaign events and his court appearances in Manhattan. She often want on conservative and national media to echo many of Trump’s talking points, calling the criminal cases against him a “witch hunt that comes from the top, comes from Joe Biden” and often describing Democrats as out-of-touch liberals ignoring the issues facing Americans.

Leavitt has shared Trump’s combative approach to the news media, saying during a warm-up speech at one of his rallies, “I have the great pleasure of fighting the fake news media all day, every day.” CNN ended a live interview with her in June when she accused anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, whom the network chose to moderate the first presidential debate of the 2024 election, of bias.

She has been vocal about her role as a working mother, sharing that she was hired as the Trump campaign’s national press secretary shortly after learning she was pregnant with her first child. And she was quick to return to work after delivering her son, going on television just four days later.

“The president literally put his life on the line to win this election. The least I could do is get back to work quickly,” she said in an interview with conservative women’s outlet the Conservateur, which she shared on her Instagram.

In the lead-up to Trump’s inauguration, Leavitt served as a vocal champion of the president’s Cabinet picks as they navigated their confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill. In a recent Fox News interview, she touted the nominees as “brilliant” picks and slammed Democrats for the questions they were asking of them.

“The Democrats have not yet found a cure to Trump derangement syndrome, and their party is still in complete disarray,” she said on Fox News this month.

(c) 2025, The Washington Post · Sabrina Rodriguez

17 hours ago

Rav Eliyahu Yagid, the Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Keren HaTorah in Lakewood, has released his first sefer, Minchas Eliyahu, which offers a deep and insightful analysis of Maseches Eiruvin. This work marks a milestone for Rav Yagid, as it is the first published sefer for him, one of the leading young Roshei Yeshiva in the United States, renowned for his brilliant lomdus and scintillating shiurim.

Rav Yagid, who is known for his breadth of knowledge, brings his exceptional scholarship to the forefront in Minchas Eliyahu, which is certain to become a key resource for bnei Torah.

The sefer features a haskamah from his Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Moshe of South Fallsburg.

Rav Yagid is a son of Rav Avrohom Yagid and a son-in-law of the late Rav Gershon Neuman zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Leyma in Union, NJ.

The sefer is expected to make a profound impact on those learning this masechta and is a fitting contribution to the legacy of harbotzas haTorah that Rav Yagid continues to foster.

{Matzav.com}

16 hours ago

During her first briefing on Tuesday afternoon, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the creation of a dedicated seating section for “new media” journalists and said the Trump administration will restore the press credentials of 440 individuals that were “wrongly revoked by the previous administration.”

“The Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media who are seated in this room,” she said. “It’s essential to our team that we share President Trump’s message everywhere and adapt this White House to the new media landscape in 2025.”

Leavitt gave her first question to Mike Allen, the co-founder of the digital media company Axios, followed by Matthew Boyle, Washington bureau chief for the Breitbart News Network.

“It is a fact that Americans are consuming their news media from various different platforms, especially young people,” Leavitt said. “And as the youngest press secretary in history, thanks to President Trump, I take great pride in opening up this room to new media voices to share the president’s message with as many Americans as possible.”

She said the White House will welcome applications for press credentials from nontraditional journalists, including creators on social media platforms like TikTok, podcasters and bloggers who are “producing legitimate news content.”

After beginning the briefing with pleasantries, telling a packed room of assembled journalists that “it’s an honor to be here with all of you,” Leavitt leveled several criticisms of the media and tussled with multiple correspondents. In doing so, Leavitt harked back to the combative dynamic that was ever-present during the first Trump administration, when press secretaries Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders clashed regularly with journalists.

Associated Press journalist Zeke Miller asked whether she saw her role as purely an advocate for the president or whether she would provide “the unvarnished truth.”

“I commit to telling the truth from this podium every single day,” Leavitt said.

“While I’ve vowed to provide the truth from this podium, we ask that all of you in this room hold yourselves to that same standard,” she added. “We know for a fact that there have been lies that have been pushed by many legacy media outlets in this country about this president, about his family. And we will not accept that. We will call you out when we feel that your reporting is wrong or there is misinformation about this White House.”

Leavitt pushed back at Peter Alexander, the chief White House correspondent for NBC News, after he asked about some of the Trump administration’s early actions regarding deportations and a decision by the White House to pause to all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government. “You’re asking a hypothetical based on programs you can’t even identify?” she responded, even after Alexander had identified a specific program that provides heating for low-income residents.

When asked how frequent her press briefings would be, Leavitt said the administration’s best spokesperson is the president himself. “I can you assure that you will be hearing from both him and from me as much as possible,” she said.

Observers, including White House correspondents, were eager to see what approach Leavitt, 27, would take to engaging with the media. Leavitt, who served as an intern during Trump’s first administration, served as a public-facing spokesperson for the Trump campaign last year, making her a logical choice to serve as press secretary as someone who was already familiar to the journalists who have covered the president.

(c) 2025, The Washington Post · Jeremy Barr

17 hours ago

Dear Matzav Inbox,

As a young frum family, we are finding it increasingly impossible to make ends meet, even as we tighten our belts and cut back on anything that’s not absolutely essential. It’s hard to imagine how anyone in our situation is expected to save or even plan for the future when the day-to-day costs are so overwhelming.

To break it down: the basic necessities alone add up to thousands of dollars each month. Let’s start with rent—at $2,000, this is often a modest apartment in a frum neighborhood. Utilities run us about $350 a month – often more – just to keep the lights on and the heat  and A/C functioning. That costs us $650 each month together. Gas and tolls for commuting to work and for the kids’ schooling adds another couple of hundred bucks. Health insurance is another $500. Then there’s the cost of groceries and other basic necessities, like toiletries, which costs us at least $500 a week.

I didn’t mention clothes, medical bills, dentist bills, life insurance, simple things like haircuts and oil changes, therapy (yes, some of our children need that), shul membership, school dinners, and other things like that.

This leaves us with only the bare essentials, no luxuries, no indulgences, and no cushion for emergencies.

But that’s not the whole picture. What about school tuition? The average cost for a frum family with 4 children or so can easily be over $2,000 per child. That’s another crushing blow to our budgets. There are also the additional costs for school supplies and uniforms.

Then there’s the hidden costs of “keeping up appearances.” How many young families can afford the necessary clothing for their children for each season? Shoes alone can cost $100 per pair, and that’s just one item in an ever-growing list of essentials. Additionally, things like newspapers/magazines, simcha gifts, and tzedakah donations add more strain.

Let’s not forget the mental and emotional toll of this relentless financial burden. The constant anxiety about making rent each month, about scraping together enough for groceries and tuition fees, creates a tension that no one should have to carry.

The question remains: How are we supposed to save any money, or even have the ability to plan for the future?

I am in my thirties, with my spouse, and we are trying to raise children as frum ehrliche Yidden, but the math simply doesn’t add up. At the end of the month, after we’ve accounted for all of these expenses, there’s nothing left. We are just getting by—and sometimes, not even that.

It’s time for a broader conversation about the crippling costs of frum family life. We need a change—a way to help families like mine, who are working hard and trying to live according to our values, but are finding it increasingly impossible to do so without falling behind. The current system is unsustainable, and we are crying out for someont to do what they can to alleviate the growing financial strain on young frum families.

We simply cannot go on like this.

Sincerely,
A Frustrated Young Parent

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16 hours ago

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — At a conference for rabbis and halachic authorities held in Jerusalem this week, it was clearly stated by one of the rabbis on the kashrus committee of the Badatz Eda Charedis that their kashrus system does not monitor the kashrus status of the wax coatings on oranges and approves non-kosher materials under the claim that orange peels are not eaten. This despite the fact that some people fry orange peels and coat them in chocolate, and others use grated orange and lemon peels in baked goods, which are indeed eaten.

The renowned kosher expert Rabbi Yochanan Reichman claims that critical kashrus information is being concealed by the kashrus committee of an important Badatz (Jewish religious supervisory body). In a fascinating article, he also discussed the problem of “scale insects on orange peels.”

The Emess site of Kol Chai requested that Rabbi Reichman kindly elaborate on the problem of scale insects on oranges. The kashrus expert explained that is a type of pest called ‘scale insects.’ Scale insects are small pests that cling to the peel of fruit without penetrating the fruit itself, and they can be found on several types of fruits, including oranges. While they are on the fruit, they appear different from many other pests, and their growth process and developmental stages differ from regular pests.

Description of the insect and its development:

The insect, when it is born, is about 0.18 mm in size and has legs. After hatching from the egg, it crawls on the fruit for a few hours, and according to experts, it can travel up to three meters. When it finds a place to rest, it inserts its proboscis into the peel of the fruit and attaches itself. At this stage, it secretes a waxy substance from its body, forming a protective shell, hence its name ‘scale insect.’ It then undergoes several developmental stages. Initially, it loses its legs and some other parts of its body and no longer has the ability to crawl. When it reaches its final stage of development, it sheds ‘exuviae.’ These shed parts remain inside the peel and attach to it, and according to scientists, parts of its body that have fallen off remain in the peel as well.

To date, routine tests of over 10 bottles of orange juice from different factories, produced at different times, have shown that during the summer months (Tammuz-Av), at least one scale insect or shed exuvia can be found in each cup.

There are rabbis who are stringent about this and require that the oranges be thoroughly washed with a cleaning agent such as dish soap and scrubbed with a scouring pad. However, many of the leading rabbis do not require any inspection at all and do not worry about washing the oranges before eating or juicing them. This is also the ruling of the Rav Beit Din (chief rabbi of the Haredi community), the renowned Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Fischer, zt”l, in his book “Even Yisrael” on the laws of Tu B’Shvat.

3 hours ago

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A civilian contractor working for the Israeli Defense Ministry in the Gaza Strip was killed by Israeli forces on Tuesday after being mistaken for a terrorist operative during operations in the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza, according to an IDF announcement.

Kobi Avitan, 39, from Eilat, was killed while carrying out “engineering work for the IDF on behalf of the Ministry of Defense,” the army said.

The Military Advocate General’s Office has ordered a probe into the incident by the Military Police Corps, according to the statement.

“The IDF shares in the grief of the family,” it added.

An initial investigation revealed that he was likely moving in a restricted area when gunfire was opened toward him.

Avitan was a military tractor operator, employed as a contractor within the IDF’s operations for dismantling positions in the Netzarim corridor and redeploying to rear areas. As part of his work, he arrived in civilian clothing at a guard post in a military position within the corridor area. The soldier at the post identified him, mistakenly thought he was a terrorist posing a threat, and therefore shot and killed him by mistake.

Avitan leaves behind a wife and three children, one of whom is only 10 months old, according to the report. A date has reportedly not been set yet for the funeral, as the family is waiting for his brother, who was abroad.

Avitan’s death marked the first deadly incident for Israel in the coastal enclave since Jan. 13, when five members of the army’s Nahal Brigade were killed in action fighting Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip.

The death toll among Israeli forces since the start of the IDF ground incursion in Gaza on Oct. 27, 2023, currently stands at 408, and at 841 on all fronts since the Hamas-led terrorist assault on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

JNS contributed to this report.

4 hours ago

Children love to be entertained. Their capacity for fun seems endless. Parents, however, have limited time, money and patience. If children respect the bounds set by their parents, both parents and children will enjoy the outing. But if children try to exceed their parents’ tolerance, a fiasco is inevitable.

Just as children wish to be indulged without limitation, so too do adults yearn to be listened to by their spouses without restriction. It is enormously gratifying to be the speaker while your spouse indulges you as the listener. But if you exceed your spouse’s tolerance, a potentially constructive communication session can deteriorate into a shouting match like this one.

“You never have enough time for me,” a wife complained. “You are always willing to talk to everyone else. But you are so impatient with me. It has been so long since we last had a chance to talk and now you are cutting me off before we even got started. There is so much I wanted to say and now you are telling me you have to go. I feel so put down and hurt!”

“‘Not enough time’,” the husband shot back. “‘Not enough time’? Do you realize how long I have been listening to you now? Do you see what time it is? There are so many responsibilities that I am ignor­ing now just to be able to listen to you. And you have the audacity to say that I have not given you enough time? There is never enough time for you, no matter how long I talk with you. I just feel you will never be satisfied!”

Sound familiar? If so, you may need to set some parameters on your communication sessions at home. If you do, the speaker will not feel cut off and the listener will not feel unfairly imposed upon.

The main point here is that if you are the speaker, it is your responsibility to respect whatever time limits you and your spouse have agreed upon in advance. If you do, your spouse will be more likely to be willing to listen to you again, in the future. If you do not, your spouse may look for any opportu­nity to avoid listening to you, again.

Or, as Chazal put it more succinctly, “Tafasta meruba lo tafasta; If you try to grab too much, you may end up with nothing.” (Rosh Hashana 4b)

_ _ _ _ _

Dr. Meir Wikler is a psychotherapist and family counselor in full-time private practice with offices in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Lakewood, N.J. This article has been adapted with permission of the author and publisher from Ten Minutes a Day to a Better Marriage: Getting Your Spouse to Understand You by Dr. Meir Wikler (Artscroll, 2003).

16 hours ago

During her inaugural press briefing on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the presence of unidentified drones flying above New Jersey, emphasizing that they were “not the enemy.”

Leavitt began by sharing a statement from President Trump regarding the drones before opening the floor to questions from reporters.

“After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by FAA for research and various other reasons,” Leavitt read from the statement issued by President Trump.

“Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones. In time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

21 hours ago

Hamas is expected to inform Israel today of a third hostage to be released from Gaza tomorrow, alongside civilian Arbel Yehoud and soldier Agam Berger.

Reports suggest that 65-year-old Keith Siegel, a U.S. citizen, may also be freed this week, though no official confirmation has been given, and it remains unclear whether this will happen tomorrow or on Shabbos, when three additional hostages are set to be released.

In return, Israel will release Palestinian security prisoners—30 for each civilian hostage and 50 for Berger, including 30 convicted terrorists serving life sentences.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

10 hours ago

Al Jazeera documentary on Hamas military commanders during the war includes exclusive footage provided by Al-Qassam Brigades of Muhammad Deif and Yahya Sinwar, along with an interview with military leader Izz al-Din al-Haddad.

Qatari-owned Al Jazeera had exclusive access to Hamas’s top leadership—which should surprise nobody—because it serves as the terror group’s propaganda arm.

This past Moztei Shabbos, YWN published footage of Sinwar during the war. This is additional footage not seen before.

https://yeshivaworlds3.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29070005/WhatsApp-Video-2025-01-29-at-06.45.06_50bebf78.mp4

(YWN Worle Headquarters – NYC)

10 hours ago

The Trump Administration is rolling back temporary protected status for more than 60,000 Venezuelan migrants, according to an announcement made Wednesday morning by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The newly appointed head of the Department of Homeland Security criticized her predecessor, Alejandro Mayorkas, for restricting the Trump Administration’s ability to act by issuing an order that granted Venezuelan migrants temporary protected status. She accused him of allowing them to remain in the country and break the law for an additional year and a half.

“We fought that today. We signed an executive order within the Department of Homeland Security that we are not going to follow through on what they did to tie our hands,” she declared during an appearance on Fox News.

The revised directive would permit federal authorities to reassess the status of all individuals residing in the U.S. under this protection, including Venezuelans and those affiliated with the criminal network known as TDA (Tren de Aragua), Noem explained.

Noem, 53, pointed out that while she was on the ground for the first enforcement operations in New York City since Trump’s renewed immigration crackdown, locals expressed gratitude to federal officers for apprehending undocumented criminals.

“The people of this country want these debates out. They want their communities to be safe. It was so amazing to me to see people walk by us on the street early morning and just say thank you, thank you for being here,” she shared.

{Matzav.com}

2 hours ago

SURFSIDE – The site of the Surfside condo collapse, which tragically claimed 98 lives in 2021, is being transformed into an ultra-luxury residential development. DAMAC International, a Dubai-based real estate developer, has revealed plans for The Delmore, a 12-story boutique condominium set to rise at 8777 Collins Avenue in Surfside, Miami. The project will feature 37 “mansions in the sky,” each starting at $15 million, as well as a range of world-class amenities, such as a suspended 75-foot acrylic swimming pool, meditation garden, and residential butlers.

Designed by the internationally renowned Zaha Hadid Architects, The Delmore will showcase the firm’s signature sinuous curves and sculptural façades, blending with the natural beauty of its oceanfront surroundings. The building’s unique architectural style, which includes wraparound terraces and shell-shaped fins, is set to become an iconic part of Miami’s skyline.

The development will cater to a select few buyers, with each residence offering expansive living spaces averaging 7,000 square feet, including private elevator entry foyers. The penthouses will span more than 10,000 square feet, offering sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, Biscayne Bay, and the Miami skyline.

Beyond the lavish residences, The Delmore will feature a wide array of amenities designed to enhance the lifestyle of its elite residents. The property will boast a state-of-the-art fitness center, a private Michelin-starred restaurant, a wellness spa, and an outdoor meditation garden with cascading reflective pools and yoga spaces. The rooftop deck, featuring the transparent floating pool, will provide unparalleled views of Miami’s coastline, further solidifying the property as a high-end destination.

Construction for The Delmore has already begun, with completion expected in 2029. The project is set to be a centerpiece of Miami’s Billionaire’s Triangle, an area known for its exclusivity and high-end real estate. The development will also be a key part of the ongoing transformation of Surfside, a community still healing from the devastating collapse.

22 hours ago

TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli soldier released from captivity in Gaza this weekend shared some information about her 15 months as a hostage on social media on Tuesday, noting she spent most of the first 50 days alone.

In a post on an Instagram account thanking supporters who championed her release, Naama Levy, 20, wrote that she was now “safe and protected and surrounded by family and friends, and feeling better every day.”

Levy wrote that after spending the first 50 days mostly alone, she was reunited with the other soldiers kidnapped from her military base as well as other civilian captives.

“They gave me strength and hope,” she wrote. “We strengthened each other until the day of our release, and also afterwards.”

Seven female Israeli hostages, including four soldiers, have been released since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began a week and a half ago, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

22 hours ago

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi mocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion to move Palestinian Arabs from Gaza to other countries like Egypt and Jordan.

Speaking to Sky News, Araqchi responded to Trump’s proposal by humorously suggesting that instead of relocating Palestinians, Trump should consider relocating Israelis to Greenland. “My suggestion is something else. Instead of Palestinians, try to expel Israelis, take them to Greenland so they can kill two birds with one stone,” Araqchi said, referencing Trump’s past comments about his interest in purchasing Greenland.

Trump had raised the idea of relocating Gazans earlier that weekend, sharing with reporters that he had spoken with King Abdullah II of Jordan about the proposal. “I’d like him to take people. I’d like Egypt to take people,” Trump said about the Jordanian King. “You’re talking about, probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know it’s, over.’”

Trump also indicated that the move of Palestinian Arabs from Gaza could either be temporary or long-term, highlighting the historical context of conflicts in the region that have persisted over centuries.

On Monday, Trump reiterated his proposal, telling reporters that he had discussed it with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. “I’d like to get them living in an area where they can live without disruption, revolution … when you look at the Gaza Strip it’s been hell for so many years,” said Trump.

“I wish [Sisi] would take some [Gazans]. We helped them a lot, and I’m sure he’d help us. He’s a friend of mine. He’s in a very rough part of the world, to be honest. As they say, It’s a rough neighborhood. But I think he would do it, and I think the King of Jordan would do it too,” Trump continued.

These comments came despite Egypt’s Foreign Ministry already firmly rejecting Trump’s idea, reaffirming its “continued support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land.”

In the same interview with Sky News, Araqchi also issued a stern warning about the potential consequences of an Israeli or U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling it “crazy” and predicting it would lead to a “very bad disaster” for the region. “We have made it clear,” he stated, “that any attack to our nuclear facilities would be faced with an immediate and decisive response. But I don’t think they will do that crazy thing. This is really crazy. And this would turn the whole region into a very bad disaster.”

Araqchi also addressed Trump’s remarks about being open to diplomacy in order to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran, expressing skepticism. He emphasized that restoring trust would require more than just vague diplomatic gestures. “The situation is different and much more difficult than the previous time,” he explained. “Lots of things should be done by the other side to buy our confidence… We haven’t heard anything but the ‘nice’ word, and this is obviously not enough.”

{Matzav.com}

2 hours ago

(VINnews) — Jeremy Boreing, co-founder of Daily Wire with Ben Shapiro, said on his podcast that his favorite wedding last year was a frum Jewish wedding.

Boreing was asked by Kassy Akiva, a Jewish convert who writes for DW, what his favorite wedding was to attend last year. After cracking a joke, Boreing confirmed that it was Kassy’s wedding. He added that it was “just an absolute joy”.

I asked the question and missed the response!

So glad @JeremyDBoreing had fun at my wedding. It was real joy, not Kamala joy! https://t.co/bPSYhTtysu

— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) January 27, 2025

At my wedding, I surprised my incredible husband with my first ever book.

Yitzchok and Devorah love Hashem is about our journeys to Torah and each other. pic.twitter.com/X9ZhOBZNpQ

— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) March 17, 2024

Kassy replied on X: “So glad @JeremyDBoreing had fun at my wedding. It was real joy, not Kamala joy!”

2 days ago

(VINnews) — Senator John Fetterman expressed his disappointment at the failure of the ICC sanctions bill to pass the Senate, however the Democrat stopped short of criticizing his entire party in the Senate, all of whom voted against the no-brainer of a bill.

Fetterman tweeted:

“Deeply disappointed by the outcome of the ICC sanctions bill. My vote follows Israel—not the ICC that equivocated the democratically elected leader of our special ally to the terrorists and rapists of Hamas.”

It’s incredible that only one Senate Democrat was willing to stand up and be counted to combat the ICC on their mission to weaponize the law against an American ally.

Thank you, @SenFettermanPA, for once again showing moral clarity. Shame on the rest who failed to do the same.

— Joel M. Petlin (@Joelmpetlin) January 28, 2025

He was praised by many Jews, including comedian Michael Rapapor and Joel Petlin.

Petlin tweeted: “It’s incredible that only one Senate Democrat was willing to stand up and be counted to combat the ICC on their mission to weaponize the law against an American ally.

“Thank you, @SenFettermanPA, for once again showing moral clarity. Shame on the rest who failed to do the same.”

Fetterman has been the most staunchly pro-Israel Democrat in the Senate, along with Ritchie Torres in the House.

The PA Senator has gotten intense backlash from pro-Hamas protesters, however his support for Israel has been relentless.

10 hours ago

RENSSELAER, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana man was fatally shot by a deputy during a traffic stop just days after he was pardoned by President Donald Trump for a misdemeanor related to the 2021 U.S. Capitol riot.

Matthew Huttle, 42, of Hobart was killed Sunday by a Jasper County sheriff’s deputy, authorities said.

State police are investigating. They said the deputy tried to arrest Huttle when “an altercation took place between the suspect and the officer, which resulted in the officer firing his weapon and fatally wounding the suspect.

“The investigation also shows that during the traffic stop, the suspect was in possession of a firearm,” state police added.

No other details were released. Authorities didn’t say what might have prompted the traffic stop.

“Our condolences go out to the family of the deceased as any loss of life is traumatic to those that were close to Mr. Huttle,” Sheriff Patrick Williamson said.

Nick Barnes, an attorney who was representing Huttle in pending motor vehicle cases in Lake County, said he didn’t know the circumstances of the shooting.

“I plan to find out a lot more about it,” Barnes said.

In 2023, Huttle was sentenced to six months in custody after pleading guilty to entering a restricted building, the U.S. Capitol. He had traveled with his uncle to Washington to attend the Jan. 6, 2021, pro-Trump rally. Huttle was inside the Capitol for 16 minutes and recorded it on video.

“He is not a true believer in any political cause,” defense attorney Andrew Hemmer said in a court filing. “He instead went to the rally because he thought it would be a historic moment and he had nothing better to do after getting out of jail” for a driving offense.

21 hours ago

DORAL, Fla. – Two years ago, Miami-Dade County awoke to a garbage nightmare. Both of the county landfills were nearly full, and the aging incinerator that once burned the lion’s share of the county’s waste had itself been consumed in a runaway trash fire.

After the fire, County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava proposed what she said would be the best solution to a bad problem: replacing the wrecked incinerator with a new $1.5 billion waste-to-energy facility that would generate enough electricity for 70,000 homes, pollute less than the old plant and – the mayor said – wouldn’t stink.

If built, it would be the biggest incinerator in the United States, potentially paving the way for other cities and counties to adopt a waste-management method that some scientists say is the least bad option to deal with trash that can’t be recycled or composted.

The only problem is, nobody wants it. Environmentalists called the proposal a way to greenwash burning garbage. Neighbors who lived with the old incinerator’s stink protested the plan. “I’m not saying I’m glad it burned down,” said Fabiano de Lisio, who has run a business selling motors a block from the incinerator site for 15 years. “But I’m happy I can’t smell that stench anymore.”

The core of the problem is that Americans throw out more trash than almost any other people on the planet – and lag behind other wealthy countries in recycling and composting. That leaves U.S. cities with two flawed options for getting rid of waste: burn it or bury it.

In recent years, more local governments have been considering incineration. The strategy has become common in Europe, China and Southeast Asia as the technology has advanced from the heavily polluting plants of the early 20th century to a new generation of facilities that contaminate less and offer other opportunities. In one famous Danish example, the incinerator doubles as a ski slope and public park.

Miami-Dade County’s predicament is a test of whether this solution could take root in the United States, as well.

After months of public uproar and private lobbying – including by the Trump family, which owns the nearby Trump National Doral golf course – Levine Cava pulled her support for the incinerator plan. The mayor now says the county should stick with the emergency measure it has been using since the fire: sending trucks and trains 100 miles north to dump waste in central Florida.

The final decision is up to the county commissioners, who will vote in coming weeks.

“I became mayor to make tough decisions about our future, and this is certainly among the toughest, if not the toughest, I have encountered,” Levine Cava said.

– – –

Living next to a trash fire

The old Miami-Dade County incinerator, opened in 1985, was built at the height of the American garbage-burning boom.

Like most incinerators, it used the intense heat of the trash fire – which burned at about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit – to boil water into steam, which spun a turbine and generated electricity. During the 1970s energy crisis, high fuel prices prompted many American cities to build incinerators as a way to boost electricity production and reduce their trash to ash, which takes up 90 percent less space.

Incineration peaked in the early 1990s, when 15 percent of U.S. trash was burned, but it tapered off as the Environmental Protection Agency tightened air pollution rules throughout the decade. Rather than install expensive filters to capture toxins before they blew out of the smokestacks, officials shut down many incinerators.

Unlike most local governments, Miami-Dade County didn’t build its incinerator in a poor, minority neighborhood; it stuck the facility on the edge of the Everglades, miles from most homes and businesses. But then the county sprawled west and swallowed it up. The city of Doral was founded in 2003 and quickly grew around the plant as South Florida real estate prices skyrocketed. There are now $1.7 million condos across the street from the incinerator site.

The people who live and work nearby remember the many indignities of living next to a trash fire.

Some mornings, they would wake up and find a fine dusting of ash on their cars’ windshields. Residents complained about swarms of flies and the rumble of machinery, like the sound of a distant airplane taking off all day long. But the one memory seared into everyone’s mind is the smell.

A perfume seller who works across the street from the incinerator site said the scent had notes of dead dog. A mom said she quit taking her kids to play at a nearby park because the stench was too oppressive.

“It was like a highway rest-stop bathroom that never gets cleaned. It was hardly bearable,” said Roberto Colmenares, who coaches kids at an indoor soccer pitch a block from the incinerator and lives across the street from the site.

When the incinerator caught fire on Feb. 12, 2023, it burned for more than a week. Freddy Cruz, who works at nearby catering company, said the fire produced an acrid, sulfurous smoke that made him light-headed and prompted his boss to close the business for several days. But when the smoke cleared, the plant was demolished – and the smell was gone for good.

“I’m grateful that it’s over,” said Colmenares. Asked if he would support rebuilding the plant, he said, “Please, no.”

– – –

Burying vs. burning

After the incinerator burned, Miami-Dade County’s trash chief resigned and warned of a looming garbage crisis. The incinerator had been burning half of the 2 million tons of trash the county collected each year. Soon, he wrote in a public letter, the county would have to halt all real estate development if it didn’t find a new place to put its garbage.

As an emergency measure, the county started sending trash to a landfill in a less populated area near Lake Okeechobee, northwest of Palm Beach.

This sort of trash pilgrimage is relatively common in the United States. Los Angeles sends trains full of trash 200 miles away to landfills in the Mojave Desert. New York City sends its garbage to dumps as far away as South Carolina.

Landfills are cheaper to build than incinerators, and they’re usually farther away from cities. “Landfills are more out of sight, out of mind,” said Timothy Townsend, an environmental engineering professor at the University of Florida.

But, in general, incinerators probably create less planet-warming pollution than landfills, according to Townsend, who wrote a meta-analysis reviewing a dozen conflicting studies on the subject.

Incinerators release carbon dioxide from every piece of trash they burn – but they offset some of their environmental harm by generating electricity and recovering scrap metal. Landfills release methane, an extra-powerful greenhouse gas that comes from food and yard waste rotting underground without oxygen – and although modern landfills capture most of the gas and sometimes convert it into energy, methane is such a potent planet-warmer that it usually outweighs the carbon from incinerators.

“It would be pretty rare to ever collect enough methane to tip the balance so landfills are better,” Townsend said. But he acknowledged it would be possible for landfills to come out on top if they had exceptional methane-capture rates, and if local residents composted more of their food waste and yard trimmings than Americans typically do.

– – –

Imagining a ‘zero waste’ world

Environmentalists and some Doral residents say incineration is a flawed solution that doesn’t address the root problem: Americans throw out too much stuff – more than twice as much as we did 50 years ago, according to EPA data.

Miami-Dade is particularly bad: The county dumps twice as much trash per resident as the rest of the country, in part because 27 million tourists visit each year and add to the waste pile, Levine Cava said.

The best way for the county to deal with this rising tide of trash, say local activists and national researchers, is to reduce waste, recycle and compost as much as possible, and then dump what’s left into a landfill.

Once an incinerator is built, it has to be fed a constant stream of trash to keep operating and generating electricity, discouraging local governments from reducing their waste, said Lily Baum Pollans, an associate professor of urban policy and planning at Hunter College who wrote a book about the politics of waste management in U.S. cities.

“When everyone starts to feel down and frustrated and like there’s no good answer, I’m like, ‘Yes, there is a perfectly good answer: We don’t need so much disposable stuff,’” Pollans said.

Miami-Dade County is one of at least 100 U.S. local governments that have developed a “zero waste” plan in recent years, according to a tracker from Waste Dive, a publication focused on waste management.

But Florida is one of eight U.S. states that has made it illegal for local governments to ban or limit certain kinds of plastic waste, usually a key element of such plans. Instead, Miami-Dade County pledged to use less plastic in facilities it owns, including Miami International Airport and PortMiami, the world’s biggest cruise ship port.

Environmentalists say the county should also step up composting and recycling. Miami-Dade composted and recycled 38 percent of its waste in 2023, county officials said, which is above the U.S. average of roughly 30 percent. Raising that number would require the county to build new waste facilities – and Levine Cava’s original proposal did call for new recycling and composting equipment to be built alongside the incinerator.

But county officials say they would probably still have to find space somewhere else in Florida for a large-scale composting facility. Meanwhile, Miami, the biggest municipality within Miami-Dade County, is debating ending its recycling program to cut costs.

It’s unlikely that any county could recycle or compost all of its waste. Even San Francisco, which fines residents and businesses that don’t separate their trash, composts and recycles only about half the waste from households and small businesses. The rest goes in a landfill.

In December, Levine Cava criticized landfills for producing more greenhouse gas emissions than incinerators. “Landfill has a lot of problems,” she said, adding, “Incineration just gets a bad rap because … we don’t think people are really digesting the scientific information.”

But in a Saturday memo, the mayor changed her stance. She recommended that the county continue dumping its waste in central Florida while looking for a place to build a new landfill outside Miami-Dade County. An incinerator, she wrote, would stretch the county’s thin budget and “likely generate legal or other challenges that would significantly extend the project timeline.”

The county commissioners are scheduled to make a final decision on Feb. 19.

(c) 2025, The Washington Post · Nicolás Rivero

18 hours ago

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers passed a sweeping immigration bill Tuesday, setting aside half a billion dollars in public funds to help carry out President Donald Trump ‘s crackdown on those in the country illegally.

In a state where roughly one in every five residents is an immigrant, the legislation would require every level of government — as well as government contractors — to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement “to the fullest extent possible.”

Following more than four hours of deliberations on Tuesday, Florida’s Republican-dominated Legislature passed the measure largely along party lines. The passage sets up a showdown between Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and state legislative leaders, who have sparred over whose proposals would better carry out Trump’s immigration crackdown. DeSantis has called the bill “weak.”

“The whole goal of this bill is to help President Trump do his job,” said Republican Sen. Gruters, one of the bill sponsors and a Trump ally who said he spoke with the president while shepherding the measure. “He wants maximum coordination with local government.”

Lawmakers pushed the 80-plus page bill — titled the Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy, or TRUMP Act — through in a special session, when it’s harder for the public to engage in the legislative process. Republican lawmakers filed the bill after rejecting immigration proposals by DeSantis, a rebuke to the lame duck governor who was once floated as Trump’s successor.

Notably, one Republican in the House and six in the Senate voted against the measure, leaving the bill short of a veto-proof majority.

“I appreciate the attempt,” said Republican Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, an ally of the governor. “I cannot vote for this because it is nowhere near strong enough for my taste.”

Ahead of the floor debate on Tuesday, Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez announced additional provisions, after they “requested and received technical assistance from the Trump Administration”, the leaders said.

The amendments included enhancing penalties for all crimes committed in the state by people in the country illegally, and requires that those convicted of capital offenses receive the death penalty. But the Republican sponsors declined to include some of DeSantis’ provisions, like restrictions on people in the country illegally sending money overseas and a measure that would have created a legal presumption that people in the country illegally are a flight risk.

Now DeSantis must weigh whether to sign a proposal he’s bashed in public as “toothless” and “watered-down” or veto it. He could also decline to sign the bill, allowing it to become law.

The measure passed by lawmakers Tuesday would create a new state immigration enforcement office with more than 140 employees under the direction of a newly minted chief immigration officer, a post to be taken by the state’s commissioner of agriculture, and would cede emergency immigration enforcement powers from the governor to the state immigration officer.

The bill allocates $100 million for grants to local law enforcement agencies for training, equipment and reimbursement for leasing detention facilities to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It allocates another $375 million to fund the state’s cooperation with the federal government, including efforts related to a program that deputizes local law enforcement for duties typically performed by ICE agents. It also sets aside $25 million to give $1,000 bonuses to local law enforcement officers who cooperate with the federal government.

Democrats repeatedly pressed the bill sponsors on the language requiring government employees to “cooperate to the fullest extent possible” with federal immigration enforcement.

“If we really don’t want our (school resource officers), our social workers and our teachers defining for themselves what the fullest extent of their cooperation needs to be, then we need to define that,” said Democratic Rep. Christine Hunchofsky.

Gruters said the bill is aimed at requiring more cooperation from local officials running jails and detention facilities, not “street-level” enforcement. But he acknowledged that could change with federal priorities.

The bill would also repeal a decade-old state law allowing Florida students who are in the country without legal permission to qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities, which as of the 2023-2024 fiscal year benefitted about 6,500 students. In a sign of how much the state’s immigration politics have changed in recent years, the tuition measure was sponsored in 2014 by the state’s now-lieutenant governor, a Republican from Miami.

“I implore you today to remember the haunting yet challenging words of our lieutenant governor when she said, ‘It’s the right thing to do’,” Democratic Sen. Darryl Rouson told his colleagues on the Senate floor. “And what has changed since then except an attitude towards immigrants?”

Democratic Rep. Jose Alvarez, who was born in Cuba and was brought the U.S. by his parents, was more forceful.

“You all should be ashamed of yourself,” he told lawmakers during a hearing on the bill, adding “This is not what this country was meant for.”

The provision empowering the state’s agriculture commissioner as chief immigration officer has rankled DeSantis, who said “it’s almost like the fox guarding the hen house” because the agriculture industry hasn’t “been known for immigration enforcement.”

In his closing remarks, Speaker Perez seemed to nod at the pressure Republicans have faced from the governor and his allies.

“Threatening others to get your way isn’t leadership, it’s immaturity,” Perez said. “I’m going ask you to ignore the melodrama and instead focus on the work that we have to do.”

Florida is among many states led by both parties responding to Trump’s immigration agenda, including Tennessee, which started its own special session Monday in part to deal with the issue.

13 hours ago

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued a ruling on Tuesday, requiring the Trump administration to continue distributing federal assistance, just as a freeze was set to take effect at the close of business that same day.

U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan delivered a temporary restraining order following an appeal by a coalition of nonprofit organizations. This action came shortly after Matthew Vaeth, the acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), instructed federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance.”

The memo issued by Vaeth further instructed agency heads to “identify and review all Federal financial assistance programs and supporting activities consistent with the President’s policies and requirements.”

Attorneys representing Democracy Forward filed the lawsuit on behalf of several nonprofit groups, including the National Council of Nonprofits, the American Public Health Association, the Main Street Alliance, and the LGBTQ advocacy group SAGE, in an effort to prevent the funding freeze.

“This Memo … will have a devastating impact on hundreds of thousands of grant recipients who depend on the inflow of grant money (money already obligated and already awarded) to fulfill their missions, pay their employees, pay their rent — and, indeed, improve the day-to-day lives of the many people they work so hard to serve,” the attorneys wrote in their complaint.

With the judge’s decision, all active grants will continue, with the order remaining in effect until 5 p.m. ET on February 3.

A hearing is scheduled for Monday, February 6, to hear arguments on the legality of the OMB’s action.

In court filings, the Justice Department contended that the nonprofits had not yet shown any immediate impact from the funding freeze on agencies.

“I am very sympathetic to your argument that [the plaintiffs have] not identified a particular grantee that is going to be missing a paycheck from the federal government tomorrow, but I think that’s in part from the government’s own making,” AliKhan — a Biden appointee confirmed in a tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President Kamala Harris — remarked to a Trump administration lawyer during a Zoom hearing on Tuesday, according to NBC News.

The OMB’s order sparked backlash from Democrats, who accused the White House of unlawfully withholding funds approved by Congress, highlighting issues such as the temporary shutdown of Medicaid and other federal benefit systems.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration’s actions during her first official briefing on Tuesday, clarifying that the move did “not represent a blanket pause on federal assistance” like Social Security, Medicare, or food stamps.

“Assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause,” Leavitt said during the briefing, later reinforcing the point on social media, claiming that no Medicaid payments had been “affected” and that “the portal will be back online shortly.”

“What does this pause mean? It means no more funding for illegal DEI programs,” she continued.

“It means no more funding for the Green New Scam that has cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. It means no more funding for transgenderism and wokeness across our federal bureaucracy and agencies, no more funding for Green New Deal social engineering policies.”

Leavitt further asserted that $50 million audited by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and OMB had revealed that taxpayers were being burdened with funding “condoms in Gaza.”

Another $37 million earmarked for the World Health Organization, which Trump had previously withdrawn from, was also included in the frozen funds.

“Career and political appointees in the Executive Branch have a duty to align Federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through Presidential priorities,” Vaeth wrote in the memo.

“The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve.”

Vaeth gave all agencies until February 10 to submit requests for exceptions.

In response, a coalition of state attorneys general from California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New York also announced plans to sue in an effort to block the freeze, with New York Attorney General Letitia James calling it “unconstitutional.”

In a recent confirmation hearing, OMB Director-designate Russ Vought suggested that the legislation preventing presidents from withholding funding was itself “unconstitutional.”

“The president ran on the notion that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional,” Vought told members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee last week. “I agree with that.”

The 1974 law limits the executive branch’s ability to withhold funding for proposals passed by Congress.

{Matzav.com}

14 hours ago

(VINnews) Today was Pete Hegseth’s first day at the Pentagon. The new Secretary of Defense spoke with reporters as he entered the facility.

Several astute people observed that near Hegseth’s limo, among his security detail, was an official wearing a noticeable kippah.

The man was likely a member of CID, the Criminal Investigations Division of the military, which is in charge of protection of Pentagon officials.

While it is likely that the unknown frum Jew has been in his position for some time, there is a slim chance that he is a DEI hire. Recently, the government recognized Jews as a minority. However, considering that the military is abolishing DEI today, that is highly unlikely.

In the image below, the man’s face is visible.

In the video below, kippah is visible at 0:08 seconds.

If any VIN readers know who the mystery official is, please reach out and share.

2 days ago

I was humbled and deeply inspired recently when I came across the Kli Yakar on Parshas Shemos (1:1), where he explains Rashi’s profound comparison of the Jewish people, especially the righteous, to the stars. The Kli Yakar brings two beautiful interpretations that illuminate this timeless analogy, each one carrying a powerful and moving message—and then he adds his own breathtaking insight.

The first explanation points out something remarkable: Stars are present even during the day, but their light is hidden until the sun sets. Similarly, the true light of a tzaddik (a righteous individual) often becomes fully visible only after their passing, when their profound impact on the world becomes undeniably clear. As it says in Daniel (12:3), “And those who bring many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.” Just as stars exist but may remain unseen during daylight, so too, the enduring legacy of a tzaddik transcends time, shining brightly in the World to Come, even if their influence was not fully appreciated in their own generation.

The second explanation takes this idea further. Stars are most visible in the darkness of night, and in the same way, the light of a righteous person shines brightest after their sun has set. The Kli Yakar connects this to the verse in Koheles (12:2): “Until the sun and the light darken, and the moon and the stars.” He explains that a person’s true greatness, their shem tov,is only fully revealed after they’ve passed on. Why? Because during their lifetime, we can never be certain they’ll maintain their righteousness to the very end. As Koheles (4:2) states: “I praise the dead who have already died”—it is only after death that one’s legacy is complete, their righteousness confirmed, their light eternal.

This idea is vividly demonstrated in the Torah’s description of Yosef HaTzaddik: “And Yosef was in Egypt.” Rashi explains that this verse testifies to Yosef’s unwavering righteousness—he remained steadfast in his integrity from beginning to end. The Torah only praises him fully after noting his passing: “And they placed him in a coffin in Egypt,” affirming that his righteousness endured until his very last moment.

The lesson is clear: The righteous are like stars. Their true brilliance is revealed when the sun sets—when their journey in this world has ended, and their eternal impact begins to shine. As Daniel (12:3) beautifully teaches, “And those who bring many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.” A tzaddik who inspires others to righteousness ensures that their light will never be extinguished. Their legacy lives on in the lives they touched, their students, their communities—forever.

This profound insight resonates deeply with the life and legacy of Rav Mattisyahu Salomon zt”l. Like the stars, his light continues to shine brightly, guiding all who were privileged to learn from him. My new book, Talmid’s Journey, is a humble attempt to preserve and amplify this eternal light. It is more than a tribute; it is a beacon for anyone seeking inspiration, guidance, and wisdom in their own lives. Through sharing his profound teachings, cherished insights, and unwavering dedication to Klal Yisrael, this book ensures that his influence will continue to inspire future generations.

Are you ready to be inspired by the timeless lessons of a true tzaddik? This book is your opportunity to connect with Rav Mattisyahu’s legacy and make it part of your own journey. Just as the stars shine eternally, so too does the light of a tzaddikwhose influence endures through the lives he touched.

I invite you to join me on this journey—to uncover the brilliance of his teachings and bring light to your own life and to others. Together, we can ensure that his legacy of righteousness shines forever. Don’t wait—secure your copy of Talmid’s Journeytoday and let the timeless wisdom of Rav Mattisyahu Salomon zt”l illuminate your path.

PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON.COM

3 hours ago

Today, Senate Democrats, led by Schumer, blocked legislation that would have imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its illegitimate and unlawful prosecution. The only Democrat to vote in favor? Senator John Fetterman (D-PA)—who has emerged as one of the last voices of reason in his party when it comes to Israel.

This move comes as no surprise to those who have followed Schumer’s long history of using his power to undermine Jewish and Israeli interests. Today’s vote is just the latest example in a pattern of betrayal.

Who could forget the time Schumer stood on stage, passionately declaring his support for Israel, only to turn around and vote against a critical arms bill in the Senate?

WATCH THE HYPOCRITE IN ACTION BELOW:

At the  March For Israel, Schumer took center stage, proudly declaring himself as the “highest ranking elected Jewish official in American history.” With the fervor of a passionate advocate, he proclaimed, “We will not rest until Israel gets all the assistance they need! We stand with Israel!” These words undoubtedly resonated with the crowd, evoking a sense of solidarity and commitment to supporting the nation of Israel. 

Or the time he called Netanyahu, an obstacle to peace, or the other countless moments when he has caved to the radical, anti-Israel wing of his party, prioritizing Democratic unity over the security of the Jewish state.

Schumer loves to talk about his support for Israel when it’s politically convenient—but when it comes time to vote, his actions tell a very different story.

20 hours ago

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden has expressed his extreme disappointment with the Federal Aviation Administration following the recent revelation that the drone activity in New Jersey, which caused widespread panic and fear among residents, was conducted as part of research efforts.

The unexplained drone activity, led to significant public concern, with residents, members of law enforcement, state, federal and local authorities scrambling for answers while the FAA’s lack of transparency regarding the nature of the operation, heightened alarm and created unnecessary anxiety in the community leading to a waste of taxpayer resources to track and chase down suspicious reports.

“Residents of New Jersey were subjected to weeks of fear and uncertainty, with no clear communication or explanation at the time,” said Sheriff Golden. “For the FAA to now claim this was for ‘research’ shows a complete disregard for the trust and safety of our communities.”

Sheriff Golden emphasized the need for accountability and better communication from federal agencies when conducting operations that could impact public safety and security. He is calling on Congress to implement immediate reforms to ensure transparency and collaboration with state and local authorities in future operations.

2 hours ago

Amit Soussana, a 40-year-old Israeli woman who spent 55 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza, returned to Israel as part of the hostage release deal in November 2023.

On October 7th, Soussana hid inside a closet in her home on Kibbuz Kfar Aza but was dragged out by Hamas terrorists. She bravely resisted her abduction, fighting and kicking seven Hamas terrorists as they tried to drag her across a field to Gaza.

“The abduction was very violent,” she told reporters after her release. “I kept resisting until they eventually tied me up by my arms and legs and dragged me on the floor. It took them over an hour to take me to the border. I was beaten up really badly. My entire face and body were bruised and swollen.”

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Once in Gaza, she was held alone for about two weeks and endured being assaulted by her Hamas guard, and then was moved from place to place, including an underground tunnel, and held with other hostages.

In a clip from a recent interview with Channel 12 [which is being aired in full on Tuesday evening], she revealed that Liri Albag, one of the female soldiers who was released on Shabbos, saved her life, an incident mentioned by Liri’s father Eli in an interview on Sunday.

In the clip, Soussana repeated how she fought off the Hamas terrorists on October 7. “The UAVs were flying over me, I began fighting them off, refusing to let them scare me – I’m not going without a fight.”

She then recounts the incident with Liri, although the full details of the incident are not included in the clip.

“The terrorist told me: ‘You have 40 minutes to tell the truth. If not, I’ll kill you,'” Soussana said. “And Liri had power over him because she is strong. I felt very weak next to him.”

The interviewer expressed his amazement: “You mean that this girl, this young soldier next to you…”

Soussana nodded in agreement: “She’s something special. And I told her: ‘You saved my life.'”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

1 day ago

TALLAHASSEE — Florida state Sen. Randy Fine, has won the Republican primary in the special election to replace former Rep. Mike Waltz in Florida’s 6th Congressional District. Fine’s victory, backed by President Donald Trump, positions him as a leading pro-Israel advocate in Congress as he prepares for the April 1 general election.

Fine who is Jewish, represents a district that includes Daytona Beach and communities south of Jacksonville, is known for his passionate defense of Israel and his relentless fight against antisemitism. Throughout his political career, he has spearheaded efforts to bolster Florida-Israel relations, secure funding for Jewish institutions, and enact legislation targeting antisemitic acts.

“This victory isn’t mine. It is Donald Trump’s,” Fine said Tuesday night from a special session on immigration in Tallahassee “It is first electoral win since Nov. 5. And Republicans overwhelmingly showed they remain committed to his agenda. And I can promise him — and every voter — no one will be more committed to his success than me. I’m ready to go.”

Fine’s commitment to Israel and Jewish causes has defined much of his political identity. His criticism of Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year for not doing enough to combat rising antisemitism in Florida underscored his willingness to challenge even members of his own party on issues of importance to the Jewish community.

In the general election, Fine will face Democrat Josh Weil, a public school teacher from Orlando, who hopes to flip the Republican-leaning district. However, Fine’s strong conservative base and outspoken support for Trump’s policies, particularly his pro-Israel stance, make him a formidable opponent.

Fine’s win reflects not only Trump’s continued influence in Republican primaries but also the growing prominence of pro-Israel advocacy in the GOP. As he campaigns for the general election, Fine has promised to be an unwavering voice for Israel and Jewish causes in Washington.

16 hours ago

POLAND (JTA) – A parade of dignitaries and dozens of Holocaust survivors came to Oświęcim on Monday to pay tribute to the 1 million Jews who died there.

Some of them encountered the single Jew who lives there.

Hila Weisz-Gut, 34, moved from Israel to Oświęcim, the Polish town where the Auschwitz memorial and museum is located, in 2023 to join her boyfriend, a Pole whom she met on a Holocaust education trip.

Since then, she has drawn attention from international journalists and townspeople alike for being the only Jew living in the town that most starkly symbolizes the Nazis’ murder of millions of people just like her. Many members of her family were killed at Auschwitz, and her grandmother survived the camp.

“For me, it’s a statement that they tried to break us and exterminate us, but they failed,” Weisz-Gut told CNN this week about living in Oświęcim, where she can see Auschwitz from her bedroom window. “We are the generation that is here to say ‘you didn’t succeed. No more. Not again.’”

Weisz-Gut, who has a master’s degree in Holocaust studies from the University of Haifa, works at the local Jewish museum, which aims to draw attention to the town’s once-thriving pre-Holocaust Jewish community.

She married her Polish husband last year in the museum’s cafe, which is also the former living room of the town’s previous sole Jewish resident, a survivor named Shimson Kluger who died in 2000.

On Monday, as Auschwitz hosted ceremonies to mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation, the museum and its synagogue — the only one in Oświęcim — opened their doors for attendees who wished to pray with a Jewish community.

Weisz-Gut told the Forward last year that she frequently visits the synagogue alone and also asks visitors to the museum to help her say the Mourner’s Kaddish, a prayer that requires a quorum of 10 Jews, for her father. “I am my own community,” she said.

23 hours ago

In a likely attempt to counter the report that dozens of Lebanese Army officials leaked sensitive information about IDF movements to Hezbollah during the so-called ceasefire, a Lebanese media outlet reported on Wednesday that the Lebanese army “took control” of a massive underground Hezbollah complex in southern Lebanon over a week ago.

According to reports, the video is of the “Imad 4” facility, which Hezbollah used for launching missiles at Israel and was exposed by the terror organization last August as part of its psychological warfare campaign, shortly before Israel activated the “exploding pagers” attack.

In footage published on Lebanese networks [likely intended for Western and Israeli eyes], Lebanese army soldiers are seen moving within the underground complex located in the Tyre region.

The AlHadath outlet reported that the area was cleared of “heavy equipment” before the Lebanese Army entered the complex.

The Lebanese army and Hezbollah did not comment on the reports and it’s unclear whether the  Lebanese Army actually took control of the compound in an effort to enforce the ceasefire, or if it was part of a collaboration between the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah.

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Meanwhile, in southern Lebanon, “innocent” Lebanese civilians continue to carry out provocations, including open support of Hezbollah, as Lebanese Army and UNIFIL forces stand by and watch.

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Hezbollah flags on UN vehicle in southern Lebanon.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

11 hours ago

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The State Attorney’s Office filed an indictment on Tuesday against a 71-year-old charedi woman from the north of Israel, charging her with trafficking in a baby born to a mother who was hospitalized in a psychiatric ward without her consent.

According to the indictment, the defendant worked to assist people suffering from mental illness. Due to her work, various people approached her asking for help with individuals with special needs, including those suffering from mental illnesses.

In May 2015, the defendant was appointed by law as the guardian of the complainant.

According to the indictment, when the complainant was in the advanced stages of her pregnancy and still hospitalized in a psychiatric ward, the defendant unilaterally decided to give the baby born to the complainant up for adoption. To promote this plan, the defendant located a couple in Israel before the birth and arranged with them for the baby to be given up for adoption in the U.S. in exchange for covering all expenses related to the pregnancy and delivery, without the complainant or the relevant authorities being aware of the defendant’s plan.

On the day of the complainant’s release from hospitalization, the defendant flew with her to New York, without informing the authorities about their trip.

According to the indictment, the couple arrived in the U.S. a few days later to advance the adoption process. During the complainant’s stay in the U.S., the defendant helped advance the adoption procedure, including hiring a lawyer to handle the adoption process in the U.S., hiring a caretaker for the complainant, and preparing the necessary documents.

After the birth, and after the complainant’s condition deteriorated, the defendant signed an adoption consent form on behalf of the complainant and assisted the couple in completing the adoption process with the U.S. authorities.

The defendant stayed in the U.S. for a short period before the birth, returned after the birth, and after the baby was given up for adoption, she returned to Israel, leaving the complainant hospitalized in the U.S.

After the complainant’s release, she stayed in the U.S. according to the defendant’s decision, despite her requests to return to Israel. While in the U.S., the complainant was completely dependent on her surroundings, unable to care for herself, with no financial resources, no passport, far from her familiar environment, and without proper medical supervision as required by her condition.

In September, about six months after the birth, the woman who hosted the complainant purchased a flight ticket for her to return to Israel. After returning to Israel, the complainant took action to retrieve the baby, filing a police complaint.

As a result of the investigation, the couple and the child’s whereabouts were located. The complex investigation was led by the Northern District Prosecutor’s Office, in cooperation with the International Department responsible for international collaboration in the investigation.

Attorney Dina Dominitz, the government coordinator for the fight against human trafficking, stated: “This indictment is unique and precedent-setting, both in Israel and worldwide, and accuses the defendant of serious offenses of human trafficking and kidnapping for the purpose of giving birth to a child and taking it, through particularly cruel exploitation.

“I hope this indictment will bring relief and justice to the young woman at the heart of this case, who was brutally exploited by those who were supposed to protect her.”

1 day ago

President Donald Trump teased the possibility of a third term, suggesting he was “not 100% sure” whether the Constitution prevents him from seeking another term. The Constitution sets a two-term limit for presidents, but Trump has consistently raised the idea of extending his time in office, often in a playful manner, though his comments are still striking.

“I’ve raised a lot of money for the next race that I assume I can’t use for myself, but I’m not 100% sure, because I don’t know … I think I’m not allowed to run again,” Trump remarked to a gathering of Congressional Republicans in Miami.

With the crowd laughing, he directed a comment to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., asking, “I’m not sure, am I allowed to run again? Mike? I better not get you involved in that argument.”

Having just been inaugurated for his second non-consecutive term a week ago, Trump became only the second U.S. president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, limits presidents to two terms, partly as a reaction to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four-term presidency from 1933-1945.

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., introduced a long-shot resolution last week aimed at changing the Constitution to permit Trump another term.

Trump has hinted at the possibility of extending his tenure multiple times, joking about it most recently during a rally in Nevada on Shabbos.

“It will be the greatest honor my life to serve not once, but twice — or three times or four times,” he said with a chuckle before adding, amid applause, “Headlines for the fake news.”

In November, Trump made a remark to House Republicans after his election win, stating: “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s good, we got to figure something else.'”

During a speech to conservative Christians in July, Trump urged: “Christians, get out and vote. Just this time. … Four more years, it’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore.”

{Matzav.com}

20 hours ago

In a sweeping move to combat rising antisemitism, President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Wednesday directing all federal agencies to take decisive action, including identifying legal avenues to punish and deport individuals engaging in anti-Jewish activities—particularly foreign students on visas.

The executive order, obtained exclusively by The New York Post, mandates that department and agency leaders submit recommendations within 60 days outlining the tools available to crack down on antisemitic activity. The Department of Justice will also intensify its investigations into pro-Hamas graffiti, harassment, and intimidation—especially on college campuses, where tensions have flared since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.

The order calls for the removal of resident aliens, including foreign students, who have violated U.S. laws during anti-Israel demonstrations. This crackdown follows months of escalating protests and alleged instances of antisemitic rhetoric at universities, some of which have received billions in federal funding.

A recent House Republican report slammed institutions like Columbia University, where large-scale protests included anti-Jewish remarks and hostility toward pro-Israel students. The report urged the federal government to condition financial aid to colleges on their ability to curb antisemitism effectively.

Trump’s latest move follows earlier remarks as a candidate, in which he called for the expulsion of foreign students supporting Hamas. Last week, he signed another executive order hinting at broader measures to prevent non-citizens from supporting designated terrorist organizations within U.S. borders.

The House GOP report also accused the Biden administration of obstructing efforts to determine how many foreign nationals on visas have been involved in these protests. The State Department and Department of Homeland Security allegedly refused to release key records on the matter, fueling Republican claims that the administration has been slow to address antisemitic threats.

The legal foundation for Trump’s order builds on past Supreme Court rulings that grant the federal government broad authority over immigration enforcement. The landmark 1972 Kleindienst v. Mandel decision upheld the government’s ability to deny visas to foreign nationals based on ideological grounds, a precedent that may play a role in enforcing Trump’s directive.

College presidents came under fire in December 2023 when, under congressional questioning, they struggled to clarify whether calls for the genocide of Jews constituted punishable speech. Their responses, citing First Amendment protections, sparked widespread backlash and fueled Republican calls for stricter action – and the resignation of two of them.

While hate speech is generally protected in the U.S., federal law prohibits institutions receiving taxpayer funding from allowing discrimination. Trump’s administration appears poised to use this legal avenue to pressure universities into enforcing stricter policies against antisemitism—or risk losing federal funds.

Protests linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have grown increasingly volatile, with some activists openly expressing support for Hamas. In Washington, D.C., demonstrators carried banners endorsing Hamas while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress last summer.

In one of the most striking incidents, Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, a 26-year-old activist from Richmond, Virginia, was arrested for allegedly spray-painting “HAMAS IS COMIN” on a monument near the Capitol.

With Trump poised to take this hardline stance, the battle over free speech, antisemitism, and the consequences for foreign activists on U.S. soil is set to intensify. Whether universities and federal agencies comply—or fight back—remains to be seen.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

9 hours ago

Ofri Bibas, the sister of hostage Yarden, sister-in-law of Shiri, and aunt to Ariel and Kfir, described the recent period as “weeks of a nightmare” during an interview with Kan Reshet Bet.

“In the last 15 months, I think we’ve reached the hardest, the most tormenting, most painful moment and, unfortunately, I keep on finding out that there’s something worse,” Bibas stated.

She explained how the beginning of the hostage deal marked the start of a long and grueling wait: “From the moment the hostage deal was launched, we knew that it would be long and agonizing weeks until we saw them at home. We are waiting for them here, between the rumors and the messages,” she said. “There is no difference between what we knew yesterday and what we know today. They know that there is grave fear for their lives, since Hamas’ announcement at the end of the previous deal. We are not certain of anything and we want to hold on to all hope.”

Speaking about the uncertainty surrounding her family’s release, she said: “We don’t know when they will be released. It was not decided in advance who would be released every day. Hamas is providing a list. If there are misunderstandings, then there are negotiations about when they will be released.”

Bibas urged the public to act with caution regarding information about the situation. “We all need to take a deep breath and be patient, to think before spreading fake news and unverified information. We need information to come from official sources and not from the media and WhatsApp groups,” she advised.

She firmly reiterated her family’s demand: “We continue to demand to see them at the end of this stage. We will not let the deal end without Shiri, Yarden, Ariel and Kfir coming home,” she stressed. “As far as we’re concerned, we know they were kidnapped alive and we assume they survived there.”

In her final remarks, Bibas appealed to the public to keep her loved ones in mind. “I want people to continue talking about them until they come back home. I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what is right and what is wrong. We need the public with us, we need to push for the deal to reach the last of the hostages.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

2 days ago

On Tuesday, Senate Democrats blocked a Republican-led effort to advance a bill aimed at imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). They argued that the proposed legislation would have far-reaching impacts on America’s business interests and its alliances around the world.

The vote ended with Republicans failing to secure the 60 votes necessary to push the bill forward, with a final count of 54 to 45. Senate Democrats had proposed a bipartisan compromise to amend the bill in a way that would protect American companies working with the ICC, as well as U.S. allies, from being inadvertently caught up in sanctions meant to target the court’s investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Israel.

Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania was the only Democrat who supported moving the bill ahead.

This vote marked a significant setback for the GOP’s agenda in the Senate, being one of the first defeats of this session. Just the week before, Senate Democrats had also blocked a Republican-backed bill related to “born alive” abortion.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) expressed his support for the bill before the vote, stating, “The ICC bill is one I largely support and would like to see become law.” Schumer, who identifies as a “Shomer Yisroel,” continued, “However, as much as I oppose the ICC bias against Israel, as much as I want to see that institution drastically reformed and reshaped, the bill before us is poorly drafted and deeply problematic.”

Efforts by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) to modify the bill’s language, which would have exempted America’s allies and U.S. businesses involved with the court from facing sanctions, were rejected by Republicans. Schumer argued that the proposed changes were minimal and amounted to a “small fix.”

“We hope, and urge our Republican colleagues to sit down with us and come up with a bill that addresses the very real problems at the ICC without adversely affecting American companies and our allies,” Schumer remarked, emphasizing the possibility for a bipartisan solution.

The proposed legislation, which had passed the House earlier this month, sought to impose sanctions on ICC officials and entities supporting the court. The sanctions were in response to the court’s investigation into Israel’s alleged war crimes, a move that has drawn significant criticism.

Last spring, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of using starvation as a weapon of war amid Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza. The court also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas’s military leader, Mohammed Deif, in connection to the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, which killed over 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 250 hostages being taken.

Opponents of the sanctions argue that they create a false equivalence between Hamas, which the U.S. and other entities have labeled a terrorist organization, and Israel’s right to self-defense.

Democrats largely opposed the Republican initiative, fearing that the bill’s sweeping language could prevent the U.S. or its allies from working with the ICC in other efforts to pursue justice for war crimes globally.

Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) was the lead Republican sponsor of the bill. Senator Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed hope that she and Cotton could reach a compromise. “I know we share most of the same concerns he does, in drafting the bill, but I think it’s overly broad, it’s not drafted in a way that addresses the unique concerns that we have with respect to the International Criminal Court,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

12 hours ago

(AP) – President Donald Trump’s decision to exit the World Health Organization means the U.N. agency is losing its biggest funder. For the two-year budget ending in 2025, the U.S. is projected to be WHO’s largest single contributor by far. It is expected to donate $958 million, or nearly 15%, of the agency’s roughly $6.5 billion budget.

Most of the U.S.’s contribution — and most of WHO’s budget overall — is via voluntary contributions. WHO member countries are assessed membership fees based on a country’s gross domestic product. But countries and other groups can make voluntary contributions to WHO to spend on designated issues.

About 70% of WHO’s budget comes from these voluntary contributions, which makes it difficult for the agency to set its own public health priorities. In 2022, WHO member countries agreed to reform its financing model, aiming to make countries’ membership fees about half of its budget by 2030.

The WHO is the U.N.’s specialized health agency and is mandated to coordinate the world’s response to global health threats, including outbreaks of mpox, Ebola and polio. It also provides technical assistance to poorer countries, helps distribute scarce vaccines, supplies and treatments and sets guidelines for hundreds of health conditions, including mental health and cancer.

U.S. public health officials were told this week to stop working with the World Health Organization, effective immediately.

Here’s a list of WHO’s top donors:
U.S.: $958 million

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: $689 million

Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance: $500 million

European Commission: $412 million

World Bank: $268 million

Germany: $324 million

United Kingdom: $215 million

Canada: $141 million

European Investment Bank: $119 million

20 hours ago

A federal judge has temporarily halted President Trump’s freeze on federal aid programs from taking effect, ruling that the courts need more time to consider the potentially far-reaching ramifications of his order.

“I think there is the specter of irreparable harm,” U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan, who was appointed by former President Biden, wrote.

The order came minutes before the 5pm deadline, which is when the White House said the funding freeze will take effect. The administrative stay lasts until Monday afternoon and applies only to existing programs.

The White House order, which was issued Tuesday evening, sparked concern across the country, as uncertainty mounted over which programs would be frozen.

In a two-page memo from Matt Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, directed federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance,” specifically citing “D.E.I., woke gender ideology and the Green New Deal.”

Trump administration officials had issued clarifications throughout the day on Tuesday, saying programs that provide direct assistance to Americans would not be affected, such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, student loans and food stamps.

In a separate lawsuit, New Jersey, represented by state Attorney General Matt Plakin, was one of at least 22 states which were also seeking to block the order.

18 hours ago

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I’ll tell you something, I am absolutely bewildered. Here we are, at a time of unparalleled goodness, and yet Moshiach is still not here. Can someone please explain this to me? With all the incredible things going on—especially on WhatsApp—how could Hashem possibly delay the arrival of Moshiach any longer? I mean, just think about it for a second.

First off, we’ve got the all-important, life-changing campaigns of making sure no one parks in handicapped spots. The constant reminders on every group chat, the memes about it, the posts about it—it’s honestly hard to imagine anything more selfless and righteous. Every time someone posts a picture of a car in a handicapped spot, I feel like we’re one step closer to the geulah. And don’t even get me started on the countless messages warning us to watch for cars parking too close to the lines. Moshiach could be right there—if only we could fix those parking situations.

Then there’s the ongoing crusade to make sure nobody overpays for eggs at the local frum stores. The vigilance is remarkable! We’ve got people making calls, sending texts, checking receipts, and creating whole spreadsheets to track egg prices. All the hard work, the selfless efforts—it’s mamish inspiring. So many people going above and beyond to make sure the prices are just right. And who could forget the relentless pursuit of keeping the prices down on other essentials? We have all these WhatsApp messages like, “Can anyone tell me where the cheapest milk is?” This is what true geulah looks like, isn’t it? How could such incredible chesed not warrant the coming of Moshiach?

And of course, let’s not overlook the unrelenting flood of Rayze It campaigns. We can barely scroll through WhatsApp for 10 seconds without seeing yet another plea for funds for a new yeshiva, a new tzedakah, or another community initiative. Each campaign is more inspiring than the last—so many dedicated individuals giving of themselves to fundraise for the right cause. One wonders, with all the collective efforts of the frum world, is there anything left for Moshiach to do? It’s almost as if he could just show up and coast on all the good we’re doing.

But wait, it gets better. Let’s not forget the memes. Oh, the memes. Inspiring, heartwarming, thought-provoking memes—daily doses of inspiration that are practically guaranteeing the arrival of Moshiach any second now. Every post, every share, is a step closer. We are truly living in a time where memes are the currency of geulah. If these don’t bring Moshiach, then what will?

And here’s the cherry on top: Moshiach could literally park in a handicapped spot today and have no problem. Thanks to the tireless efforts of all the WhatsApp groups, those spots are now practically wide open. If that’s not a sign of readiness, I don’t know what is. All the preparation has been done. We’ve cleared the way. It’s practically like Moshiach’s parking space is reserved, and now he just needs to show up.

So, I ask again: Why is Moshiach not here? We have so much good happening—real, meaningful, impactful good. What more could Hashem want from us? We’ve got awareness, we’ve got kindness, we’ve got diligence, we’ve got memes—and we’ve got parking spots cleared. If this isn’t the time, then when will it be?

With all due respect, and in full sincerity, I really don’t understand.

Perplexed

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1 day ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary, made her debut in the briefing room on Tuesday, saying that podcasters and social media influencers could apply to participate in future briefings.

Leavitt stepped into the room in a magenta pantsuit shortly after 1 p.m. ET. She said before taking questions that reporters have “access to the most transparent and accessible president in American history” with Donald Trump. She called on Mike Allen of Axios for the first question.

Leavitt, 27, said that she plans to hold briefings frequently and that Trump would be available to reporters for questions.

“I can assure you that you’ll be hearing from both him and me as much as possible,” she said.

Leavitt was a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign and transition, and he said she did “a phenomenal job” when he announced in November that she’d be his White House press secretary.

“Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” he said then in a statement. “I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we Make America Great Again.”

Previously, the youngest press secretary was Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he took the position in 1969 in Richard Nixon’s administration.

22 hours ago

A video released by the Qatari-based Al Jazeera network shows a young boy from northern Gaza reciting, word for word, a speech made by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former ISIS leader, in which he vowed to annihilate Israel and the Jewish people. The boy repeats the message of hatred that al-Baghdadi delivered back in 2015: “We are getting closer to you day by day. Do not think that we have forgotten about you. God caused the Jews of the world to gather in Israel, and the war against them has become easy. It is the obligation of every Muslim to carry out Jihad, Jews, you will not enjoy in Palestine. God has gathered you in Palestine so that the Mujahadeen can reach you soon and you will hide by the rock and the tree. Palestine will be your graveyard.”

The IDF reported today that, under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, tens of thousands of Gazans have returned to northern Gaza this week. However, this number is only a small portion of the 300,000 people Hamas claimed had relocated to the northern region.

The Israeli military had delayed the return of Gazans to northern Gaza after Hamas violated the ceasefire terms by failing to release Arbel Yehud, a civilian hostage, last week. The resumption of the return was approved after Hamas committed to releasing Arbel and two other hostages by Thursday.

{Matzav.com Israel}

23 hours ago

JERUSALEM (VINnews) —A new “war” was declared this week against the residents of Gaza, according to a Gaza-based journalist named Hamza al-Masri. This time, it is not a military conflict, but rather a “war” over “chicken meat” that arrived from the markets of Israel. Al-Masri posted a picture of poultry with the caption “treif (non-kosher) birds,” claiming that they are unfit for human consumption.

Al-Masri’s claim that “treif birds” are unfit for human consumption is simply incorrect. The term “treif” is a Jewish legal term referring to animals that were slaughtered improperly or died of other causes, which is why they are not eaten by Jews. However, for the residents of Gaza, who are not Jewish, there is no prohibition against consuming these birds.

“Israeli occupation farmers are spreading disease among the Gazans,” Al-Masri wrote, “this type of white meat is not meant for Israelis.” He even claimed that “Jewish rabbis consider these birds impure and forbidden, which is why Israel exports them to the Gaza Strip.”

Al-Masri went on to cite Jewish legal opinions, saying that these are “birds close to death due to disease” and even quoted laws from the Rashba (Rabbi Shlomo Ben Aderet), stating that “Birds with Motarot [additional limbs?] are considered impure and forbidden and should not be eaten according to Jewish law, because they are birds close to death from disease. The Jewish authorities emphasized in his book that these should not be slaughtered or mixed with regular, kosher poultry. If done, the verdict on the impure bird applies to regular poultry, making it forbidden.”

It seems that the Gazan journalist, in his haste to blame Israel for all evil, has confused Jewish dietary laws with general nutritional regulations. Perhaps he should study a bit of Jewish law before declaring a “new war” over it.

1 day ago

“That Is Terrorism” announced a headline in The Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday reporting that a caravan laden with enough explosives to cause a 40-meter blast wave was found in Sydney, with a note naming the address of a shul as a target.

The caravan was found 10 days ago and was only revealed after an investigation into the potential “mass casualty event” was leaked to the media.

According to the report, New South Wales (NSW) police were called by a local resident on January 20 after he discovered a caravan filled with explosives.

The police who arrived at the site found Powergel explosives, which are believed to have been stolen from a mine site, along with a note listing the address of a shul.

“There’s only one way of calling it out and that is terrorism,” NSW Premier Chris Minns said.

“This would strike terror into the community, particularly the Jewish community, and it must be met with the full resources of the government. And I want to assure the people of NSW that’s exactly what’s happening.”

The caravan had been parked on the roadside in a hazardous position between December 7 and January 19, the report said.

The police transferred the investigation to the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which combines state and Commonwealth agencies, including the Australian Federal Police and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. Although over 100 officers have been tasked with finding the perpetrators, they have not yet been found.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson confirmed that no arrests have been made. “I can indicate we have no information that there are further explosives in our community in relation to conducting antisemitic attacks anywhere,” Hudson said. “We believe that we have contained, appropriately, this current threat.”

Hudson added that the incident was kept secret to allow a clandestine investigation to be carried out and the plan was to tell the public “very soon”.

Responding to criticism that the Jewish community and wider public were not made aware of the threat 10 days ago, Minns said: “There’s a very good reason that police don’t detail methods and tactics and that’s so that criminals don’t understand what police are getting up to in their investigations. Just because it wasn’t being conducted on the front pages of newspapers does not mean this was not an urgent in fact the number one priority of NSW Police.”

Sydney has suffered a series of antisemitic attacks in recent weeks and months. Last week, a daycare near a Jewish school and a shul was set on fire in the middle of the night. The day after the attack, Australian federal police launched an investigation regarding suspicions that the recent antisemitic attacks in the country are funded by “overseas actors.” Later that day, the police arrested a suspect involved in the attempted arson attack of a Sydney shul earlier this month.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

13 hours ago

NEW YORK – A 17-year-old teen from the Bronx has recently uncovered a piece of his family’s history during a visit to Auschwitz, solving a mystery that had lingered for over 80 years.

The NY Post reports, that while touring an exhibit of children’s artwork at the infamous concentration camp, Yuval, a high school senior, stumbled upon the name of his great-uncle, 13-year-old Freddy Popper. Freddy’s fate had been unknown to the family for generations, and the discovery provided long-awaited closure.

The story of Freddy and his younger brother, Michael (Yuval’s grandfather), began during the upheaval of World War II. At the age of 10, Michael was hidden by a Christian family in Slovakia, while Freddy, aged 13, was sent to relatives in Budapest. Tragically, their parents committed suicide in an effort to prevent Freddy from falling into Nazi hands.

Michael survived the war, but the fate of Freddy remained a painful unknown until Yuval’s discovery during a summer trip in 2024 to Poland. The name Yuval found on an exhibit sign proved to be the missing link his family had long searched for, finally answering the question that had haunted them for decades.

Yuval had traveled with Tzofim North America, a youth group, to the site of the notorious death camp. “I had never imagined that I’d uncover this part of my family’s history during this trip,” he said, reflecting on the profound nature of the discovery.

Yuval’s mother, Michal Poran, who was with him during the trip, shared her emotional reaction to finding Freddy’s name. “Seeing that name was surreal,” she said. “It was like a broken piece of our family’s story was finally put back together.”

The trip, which took place just months after the October 7 attacks in Israel, was deeply poignant for the entire group, reminding them of the importance of connecting with their heritage and learning from the past.

For Yuval, this powerful moment also found its way into his college application essay. He wrote about how it felt to stand at the memorial, overwhelmed by the sense of support from his ancestors: “It felt like my entire family was behind me, holding me up,” he shared.

Although his grandfather, Michael, passed away in 2020, Yuval expressed his regret that he couldn’t share the discovery with him in person. “I really wish my grandfather could have seen this,” Yuval said. “But I think he would have been proud of me for discovering this part of our history.”

This discovery provided more than just answers; it underscored the lasting significance of remembering the past and passing on that knowledge to future generations.

2 days ago

ISRAEL (VINnews)-The Bibas family, whose members were abducted during the violent Hamas massacre on October 7th, has issued a statement emphasizing their continued uncertainty regarding the fate of their loved ones. Despite a list forwarded by Hamas to Israel in recent developments, the family clarified that they do not view it as confirmation of their relatives’ safety.

“The list that was recently forwarded by Hamas to Israel is not a list of names and does not change our standpoint. Even a list of names, an announcement by Hamas, or any video is not considered certainty for us,” the family stated.

Shiri Bibas, along with her children Yarden, Ariel, and Kfir, was seen in a harrowing video released by Hamas, showing their abduction. Since then, the Bibas family has been gripped by fear and uncertainty.

“Since October 7th, when the video of the cruel abduction was published, we have been living in fear and anxiety for their fate every minute of every day,” the statement reads.

The Bibas family appealed to the public to avoid spreading unconfirmed rumors or speculations that could further disturb their fragile state of mind. “We ask you to respect Shiri, Yarden, Ariel, and Kfir, as well as the entire family, and refrain from spreading rumors or speculations that unsettle us.”

They also reiterated their stance that until absolute confirmation of the hostages’ status is received, they will continue to hold on to hope.

“Until there is certainty, this is not the end for us. That has been our approach until now, and it will remain so. We continue to hope. We are waiting for them, and for all the other hostages, to return home,” they concluded.

2 days ago
2 days ago

The IDF spokesperson stated on Wednesday that troops thwarted an overnight attempt to smuggle weapons from Egypt into Israel.

IDF troops stationed at the border who spotted the drone crossing over the border shot it down.

Upon examining it, they found 13 assault rifles along with ammunition.

IDF troops stationed near the Egyptian border have thwarted multiple attempts to smuggle weapons from Egypt into Israel in recent months.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

10 hours ago

YS GOLD 

We regret to inform you of the passing of Mrs. Esther Friedman, a”h, a Boro Park resident and survivor of the Holocaust. She was 98 years of age. 

The nifteres was born into a family of Viznitzer chassidim in Chust and she was raised with emunah peshutah and yiras Shomayim which would last her a lifetime. 

She survived the horrors of Auschwitz, and never forgot her experiences there—but she emerged purified in her emunah, and she would go on to rebuild from the ashes in a spectacular fashion. 

She married Reb Avrum Friedman, an ardent Viener Yid, and they settled in Williamsburg where they were a prominent part of the Viener kehillah. A world-class ba’alas chessed, Mrs. Friedman ran the Viener Bikur Cholim organization for many years. She was known to many in the community from her work as a saleslady at a children’s clothing store in Williamsburg where she served customers with great dedication. 

In later years, she moved to Boro Park to be near her children. She was an admired and beloved presence in the neighborhood. One neighbor told BoroPark24: This isn’t just a loss for the family… This is a tremendous loss for the entire klal Yisroel.”  

Mrs. Friedman raised a beautiful Torah family. 

She was lucid until her last moments when she returned her neshamah to its Creator. 

The levaya will take place at Shomrei Hadas at 11:00 this morning. To watch it live click here.

Yehi zichra Baruch.

1 day ago

The Chinese app DeepSeek, which led to a massive $1 trillion drop in the U.S. stock market this week, is storing its rapidly expanding collection of American user data in China, presenting similar national security concerns that led to the crackdown on TikTok in Congress.

The AI-driven chatbot rose to the top of both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store charts on Tuesday. Since its launch on January 15, DeepSeek has been downloaded over 2 million times, with the majority of downloads occurring in just the past three days, as reported by AppMagic.

While other AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, gather large amounts of user data, experts have pointed out that DeepSeek’s use of Chinese-based servers — developed by Liang Wenfeng, a hedge fund investor with a background in mathematics — is a significant and concerning privacy issue for Americans.

Angela Zhang, a law professor at the University of Southern California who specializes in Chinese tech regulations, explained, “What sets this context apart is that DeepSeek is a Chinese company based in China.”

She continued, “This raises the question of whether the collection of data such as IP addresses and keystroke patterns could pose a national security threat.”

DeepSeek’s terms of service clearly state that user data is stored “in secure servers located in the People’s Republic of China.” The app also mentions that it automatically collects personal information, including “device model, operating system, keystroke patterns or rhythms, IP address, and system language.”

All companies operating in China are required to comply with the Chinese Communist Party’s cybersecurity laws, which mandate that they share data with the government when requested.

The concerns about DeepSeek’s connection to the Chinese government prompted the U.S. Navy to instruct its members to avoid using the app, CNBC reported on Tuesday.

A Navy spokesperson confirmed that an email was sent to “shipmates,” referencing the Department of the Navy’s Chief Information Officer’s generative AI policy, according to the report.

DeepSeek has also been found to exhibit signs of censorship and bias, including refusing to respond to questions about China’s President Xi Jinping, the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, the status of Taiwan, and human rights abuses against Uighurs in Xinjiang.

At times, the app starts to generate an answer but stops abruptly, stating that the prompt is “beyond [its] current scope.”

Concerns about data storage in China were central to the decision to pursue a ban of TikTok in the U.S., which was enforced this month after its parent company, ByteDance, failed to meet a January 19 deadline to divest its stake. Former President Trump had issued an executive order delaying the enforcement of the ban.

The bipartisan select committee on China in the House of Representatives, which led the efforts to ban TikTok, this week retweeted an image labeling DeepSeek as a “trojan horse.”

Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chairman of the committee, stated that Congress should “work to swiftly place stronger export controls on technologies critical to DeepSeek’s AI infrastructure.”

“The US cannot allow CCP models such as DeepSeek to risk our national security and leverage our technology to advance their AI ambitions,” Moolenaar added in a statement.

Josh Kushner, whose venture firm Thrive Capital is a significant investor in OpenAI, criticized fellow technologists who were promoting DeepSeek, accusing it of being built with U.S. technology.

“’Pro America’ technologists openly supporting a Chinese model that was trained off of leading US frontier models, with chips that likely violate export controls, and – according to their own terms of service – take US customer data back to China,” Kushner wrote on X on Monday.

A day prior, Elon Musk tweeted that DeepSeek “obviously” had access to advanced Nvidia chips. Alexandr Wang of ScaleAI told CNBC that his company holds 50,000 advanced chips that it can’t publicly acknowledge due to export restrictions.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives questioned claims that DeepSeek’s model was created with just $6 million in investment, without the next generation of Nvidia hardware, calling it “likely a fictional story.”

DeepSeek did not respond to The Post’s request for comment, and the company does not appear to have a dedicated public relations team yet.

“DeepSeek’s privacy policy, which can be found in English, makes it clear: user data, including conversations and generated responses, is stored on servers in China,” said Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN.

“Users should consider whether their interactions or uploaded data might inadvertently contribute to machine learning processes, potentially leading to data misuse or the development of tools that could be exploited maliciously,” Warmenhoven added.

Sam Altman from OpenAI acknowledged that DeepSeek was “an impressive model” but promised that his company would “obviously” surpass it with future releases.

For context, OpenAI’s GPT-4 required over $100 million to develop, while Dario Amodei of Anthropic suggested that future models might cost $1 billion or more.

The revelations surrounding DeepSeek led to a sharp drop in U.S. market value, wiping out over $1 trillion as investors reevaluated the potential for Nvidia’s hardware to power AI models, now potentially less critical than previously believed.

The incident also sparked concerns about whether the U.S. has lost its perceived edge in the AI race to China.

Tech mogul Marc Andreessen remarked that DeepSeek’s emergence marked “AI’s Sputnik moment,” drawing a parallel to the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of its satellite, which caught the U.S. off guard and spurred the space race.

{Matzav.com}

3 hours ago

NEW YORK CITY, NY (VINnews)-In what many are calling a long-overdue change, Jim Acosta, CNN’s notorious antagonist of  President Donald Trump, is reportedly on his way out. After years of headline-grabbing clashes with Trump, Acosta has been reassigned to the midnight shift—a time slot often seen as a demotion in the news world.

Despite his decent ratings, Acosta’s time at CNN appears to be winding down. Many are speculating that CNN’s new leadership is looking to reshape the network’s direction, perhaps signaling a desire to distance itself from the contentious Trump-era battles that once defined its coverage.

For Trump supporters, Acosta’s reassignment may feel like a victory. President Trump had famously told Acosta, “CNN should be ashamed to employ you,” during one of their heated exchanges. The move comes as a sign that CNN could be turning a corner, possibly in search of a less combative relationship with Trump and his supporters, who remain a powerful force in American politics.

With CNN playing musical chairs among its top talent, this decision seems to reflect a growing recognition that constant conflict with the former president may no longer serve the network’s best interests. As Acosta heads to the graveyard shift, CNN appears to be rethinking its strategy, leaving behind the divisive Trump-era media battles for what may be a more conciliatory tone moving forward.

2 days ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary, will make her debut in the briefing room on Tuesday.

Her first briefing is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.

The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room was the site of clashes between spokespeople and journalists during President Donald Trump’s first term. Trump, a Republican, also made frequent appearances there himself during the coronavirus outbreak.

It’s unclear how often Leavitt, 27, plans to hold briefings. Trump had four press secretaries during his first administration, Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham and Kayleigh McEnany, and Grisham never held a briefing, while the others were more frequent presences behind the podium.

Leavitt was a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign and transition, and he said she did “a phenomenal job” when he announced in November that she’d be his White House press secretary.

“Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” he said then in a statement. “I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we Make America Great Again.”

Previously, the youngest press secretary was Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he took the position in 1969 in Richard Nixon’s administration.

Grisham was arguably the nation’s least visible press secretary in modern history, not holding a press briefing during nine months on the job. While she made occasional appearances on the Fox News Channel, she preferred to tape her interviews in a studio to avoid having to speak to reporters who gather on the White House driveway to interview officials after they appear on TV via cameras set up outside the executive mansion.

The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps.

Trump disrupted those norms in his first term, preferring to serve as his own chief spokesperson. While he was president from 2017 to 2021, he frequently preferred to engage directly with the public, from his rallies, social media posts and his own briefings.

At a news conference this past August, Trump was asked if he’d have regular press briefings in his new administration. He told reporters, “I will give you total access, and you’ll have a lot of press briefings, and you’ll have, uh, from me.”

When it came to a press secretary, he said: “Probably they’ll do something. If it’s not daily, it’s going to be a lot. You’ll have more than you want.”

1 day ago

PENNSYLVANIA – Laura Smith, a Republican supervisor from Towamencin Township, Pennsylvania, resigned from her position after a video surfaced showing her mimicking Elon Musk’s controversial hand gesture, which some had claimed resembled a Nazi salute. The video, posted by Smith on TikTok, sparked backlash and was widely shared on social media.

Although Smith later removed the video and issued a statement saying the gesture was mischaracterized, she emphasized her commitment to respect and dignity for all. On January 26, Smith resigned, stating it was necessary for the township to move forward without the distraction caused by the video. She was also a member of the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library board, from which she resigned the previous day.

2 days ago

NEW YORK (VINnews) — The spate of antisemitic incidents in Australia has reached menacing levels, as Sydney police reported Tuesday that a caravan laden with explosives had been found in Sydney’s north-west suburb. Notes found at the site indicated that a Jewish synagogue could be a target, according to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Official media sources questioned the fact that the explosives had been found nine days ago, but the police did not deem is necessary to make any announcement until the investigation by the country’s elite anti-terror team had leaked to the media.

The abandoned caravan filled with explosives was discovered by a local man who alerted police. The Powergel explosives, believed to have been stolen from a mine site, were powerful enough to create a 40-metre blast wave.

The address of a synagogue was found in the caravan, police confirmed, and security agencies were called in as the caravan was seized.

“There’s only one way of calling it out and that is terrorism,” New South Wales (NSW) Premier Chris Minns said.

Australia’s deputy police commissioner Dave Hudson said that, “This is an ongoing investigation and is being taken seriously with all lines of inquiry being pursued,” but added that, “there is no ongoing threat to the community.”

Hudson admitted that “The discovery and the detection of the caravan with an amount of explosives was not going to be used in the normal antisemitic attack that we have seen occur in Sydney, such as graffiti and arson attacks. This is certainly an escalation of that with the use of explosives that have the potential to cause a great deal of damage,” Hudson said.

He added that the threat to the community had not been eliminated, but “mitigated”.

Minns added that “The full resources of the state of NSW and NSW Police have been deployed to confront this very serious threat to our community,” Minns said.

4 hours ago

Yaakov “Kobi” Avitan, a backhoe operator who had worked as a contractor for the Ministry of Defense, tragically lost his life in an operational accident in the Gaza Strip. He was 39 years old at the time of his death.

Preliminary reports suggest that Avitan, who was in the Gaza Strip wearing civilian attire, was accidentally shot, possibly by Israeli forces. Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Avitan was deeply involved in volunteer work with the Yedidim and ZAKA organizations, with those who knew him describing him as a kind-hearted, God-fearing individual. Originally from Ofakim, he later moved to Eilat with his wife and three children.

In a statement, ZAKA praised Avitan’s selflessness: “Kobi was a man of kindness who dedicated his life to the common good and gave his life for the people of Israel. As part of his volunteering with ZAKA, Kobi was willing to act during every event, even in the most difficult and complex arenas. Years ago, when he joined ZAKA, Kobi wrote to the Eilat ZAKA commander, Rabbi Shimon Eisenbach, that ‘any kindness that can be done – I am willing to do with love,’ and so it was.”

{Matzav.com}

18 hours ago

Liri Albag, the 19-year-old Israel Defense Forces lookout released on Shabbos after 477 days as a captive of Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, told her parents that there are “two million terrorists” in the coastal enclave, Israel’s 103FM Radio reported on Monday.

“Dad, there are two million terrorists there, make no mistake. I sat with children aged 8 and 4 who were cursing ‘the Jews,’” Albag was cited as having told her father since being released as part of the truce deal.

According to a 2024 estimate, 2,141,643 Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip.

Albag’s family has emphasized that while she and the three other female IDF hostages released on Saturday experienced “insane things that are hard to tell everything about” during their 15 months in Hamas captivity, they are afraid to speak due to the fact that 90 hostages have yet to be freed from Gaza.

Former hostage Mia Shem, who was released during the previous truce with Hamas in November 2023, told Israel’s Channel 13 News channel in an interview on Dec. 28, 2023, “Everyone there [in Gaza] is a terrorist.

“Entire families are under Hamas. I realized I was staying with a family. I started to ask myself, why am I in a family home? Why are there children here? Why is there a wife here?” Shem said. “I went through a Shoah.” JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

2 days ago

The Medicaid website portal went offline on Tuesday following an executive order by President Donald Trump to temporarily halt federal grants and aid. State Medicaid programs rely on this portal to access federal funds.

In response, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the administration is aware of the situation.

“We have confirmed no payments have been affected—they are still being processed and sent. We expect the portal will be back online shortly,” she wrote in a tweet.

Leavitt had earlier clarified that the freeze on federal funding would not impact Medicaid. “This is not a blanket pause on federal assistance in grant programs from the Trump administration. Individual assistance that includes—I’m not naming everything that’s included but just to give you a few examples—Social Security benefits, Medicaid benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits, assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause,” she explained during a press briefing.

Medicaid provides health insurance to approximately one in five Americans.

{Matzav.com}

19 hours ago
21 hours ago

Family members of several hostages, who are set to be released from Gaza in the near future, voiced their anxiety about the fate of their loved ones on Tuesday after Hamas shared information indicating that eight of the 33 hostages scheduled for release are dead.

Following this update, the families were informed by the military that Hamas’s report was consistent with earlier military assessments, and there were significant concerns about the hostages’ conditions.

Hamas provided a list, reportedly consisting of only numbers without names, indicating how many of the 33 hostages in the first phase of the ceasefire were alive. As part of the agreement with Israel signed earlier this month, Hamas was obligated to provide this information about the hostages’ statuses.

The families confirmed that Gal Hirsh, the government official overseeing hostages, had contacted them recently, explaining that although the information from Hamas was incomplete, it was consistent with the assessments of Israel’s intelligence agencies.

“It’s not exactly data. It’s Hamas saying [the number of] ‘alive,’ ‘released,’ and ‘dead,’” said Yizhar Lifshitz, whose father, Oded Lifshitz, 84, is on the list of the first 33 hostages to be released.

Yizhar added, “There’s a grave concern for his life after this last indication.” He further explained that the last sign of life from his father was on Day 25. “He was alive, with someone from the kibbutz, [being held] in the same apartment, but he didn’t feel well. They took him, and he’s basically disappeared since then, from us and probably from Hamas too. It doesn’t bode well.”

Oded Lifshitz, along with his wife Yocheved, was kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 cross-border attack that triggered the war. Yocheved was released after 20 days in captivity.

Danny Elgarat, whose brother Itzik is among those set to be freed, expressed anger on Tuesday to a Knesset committee, saying, “my brother was left to die,” referring to the document from Hamas. He added, “We know more today about the list that Hamas sent. I won’t speak for others, but we’ll probably receive him as one of the slain.”

Elgarat continued, “It was possible to save him, if you’d accepted the earlier deal,” and criticized the government’s decision to apply military pressure on Hamas rather than accepting a ceasefire deal sooner. “Who will be held accountable for this decision that killed 40 hostages?” he asked.

IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari spoke on Sunday, expressing “grave concerns” about the fate of Shiri Bibas and her two young children, Ariel and Kfir, and said more information would be expected soon regarding the Bibas family.

The ceasefire agreement, which began on January 19, is based on a proposal presented by the U.S. in May 2024. Far-right politicians, opposed to the deal, have claimed responsibility for the agreement’s failure earlier in May, although both the government and the U.S. have blamed Hamas for the delay.

The 33 hostages who are to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire deal include women, children, elderly, and sick individuals. As they are gradually freed, Israel is required to release approximately 1,904 Palestinian prisoners, including over 100 serving life sentences for terror-related offenses.

The later phases of the agreement will focus on securing a “sustainable calm” in Gaza, continuing the release of hostages, freeing additional Palestinian prisoners, and involving an Israeli withdrawal from the area.

At least 34 of the 87 hostages still held in Gaza have been confirmed dead by the IDF, and the remains of 40 others have been recovered throughout the conflict.

{Matzav.com}

22 hours ago

On Monday, the Hamas group reported that more than 300,000 Palestinians had returned to their homes in northern Gaza, following Israel’s decision to allow them to enter the region for the first time in over a year.

As these individuals make their way back, Hamas has stated that it urgently requires at least 135,000 tents, citing the fact that 90% of the buildings in the area have been reduced to rubble.

The group also appealed to the global community, requesting assistance in delivering “basic supplies” for the Palestinians affected by the situation.

{Matzav.com}

2 days ago

Shas leader Aryeh Deri urged Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to proceed with the next stage of the agreement with Hamas to guarantee the safe return of every hostage to Israel during a faction meeting on Monday regarding the law to honor Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l. “On the one hand, we want to dismantle Hamas and strip it of its military and governmental capabilities, but on the other hand, the hostages are always in front of our eyes,” he emphasized.

Deri pointed out that in the initial agreement, nearly 100 hostages were brought back, though he admitted, “not everyone agreed with us.”

He acknowledged the challenges involved, saying, “I understand the concerns—this is a very difficult deal with significant costs—but we are obligated to save lives,” and emphasized that Israel is fully committed to the effort.

“We are making a great effort to bring back the last of the hostages. We do not act with declarations or threats. We do not threaten anyone! We are obligated to this and will do everything in our power to bring back the last of the hostages, both those alive and those who are not,” Deri asserted.

As for the execution of this mission, he said, “I don’t ask questions. We know what we need to do. Even those who didn’t believe it would happen see that it is happening, and with God’s help, it will continue to happen.”

At the National Economy Conference of the National Federation, Construction and Housing Minister Yitzchok Goldknopf expressed unwavering support for Netanyahu, as reported by N12. “Netanyahu, we are behind you, and we are with you. We do not know what is good or not good. For any deal you pursue, we are with you. We must work toward the release of all the hostages, down to the very last one. We pray that all the hostages will return home safely.”

In a post on X/Twitter, United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni voiced the urgent need to bring the hostages back from Gaza, responding to Religious Zionist Party director-general Yehoda Vald, who had criticized the chareidi backing of the hostage deal. “This is our position; this is the directive of the great Torah sages. We stand firmly behind it, and it has nothing to do with all these fabricated claims that it is connected to other matters,” Gafni clarified.

Vald had earlier criticized the deal, saying, “Where is the audacity?! To leave a note and walk away, to call for a ceasefire, knowing that Hamas will remain and grow stronger. After all, we are the ones who will fight and die before and after the next massacre. Not them.” He added that the chareidi support for the hostage-ceasefire agreement was aimed at “getting applause from the left” and signaling not to press for a meaningful draft law.

{Matzav.com Israel}

15 hours ago

In her first White House press briefing this afternoon, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the drones that were flown over New Jersey and were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research purposes. “This was not the enemy.”

“After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons. Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones. And in time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy,” she said.

However, she did not explain what sort of research was conducted or specify what the “various other reasons” were.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

22 hours ago

Hamas has provided Israel with a list of 33 hostages set to be released during the six-week ceasefire, but eight of those individuals are no longer alive, government spokesperson David Mencer announced today.

“The families have been informed of the situation of their relatives,” Mencer stated.

The list was delivered to Israel last night, marking the end of the first week of the ceasefire. Out of the 33 names, 25 hostages are still alive. Seven women have already been released, leaving just 18 living hostages from this list expected to be freed in the coming weeks.

The next release of hostages is scheduled for Thursday, with an additional group to follow on Shabbos. Among those expected to gain their freedom this week is Israeli civilian Arbel Yehud. Her release was delayed after Hamas violated the agreement by prioritizing the release of four IDF lookouts instead.

At least 34 other hostages who remain in Gaza are presumed dead.

The release of these 33 hostages is part of the first stage of a ceasefire deal brokered with Hamas approximately ten days ago. Discussions for the second stage of the agreement, the second of three planned phases, are set to commence in February. Both Israel and the United States are striving to ensure that all 87 hostages still held in Gaza are liberated by the conclusion of the second or third phase of the deal.

{Matzav.com Israel}

2 days ago

By BoroPark24 Staff

Egg prices are soaring due to the ongoing bird flu outbreak, and Boro Park stores are feeling the pinch.

Many local eateries have increased the price of egg sandwiches, with some opting for quiet adjustments while others officially updated their prices, or added an additional "temporary egg surcharge".

The hikes reflect rising wholesale costs, leaving businesses with little choice but to pass the burden onto customers. Store owners are monitoring the situation closely, hoping for relief in the coming weeks, but for now, your favorite breakfast might cost a little extra.

As per the latest updates, the bird flu continues to spread without signs of slowing down. This means egg prices are expected to remain high for at least the next few weeks.

1 day ago

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he was ready to “stand in the way” of federal authorities if they try to circumvent Illinois law while conducting raids to deport undocumented immigrants.

Pritzker, a Democrat first elected in 2019, said his state was ready to comply with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials attempting to deport migrants convicted of crimes—but said it was “quite disturbing” that they might target law-abiding undocumented immigrants. Illinois was the target of some of the new Trump administration’s first ICE raids on Sunday, some of which were livestreamed by daytime television host Dr. Phil.

“You heard [the Trump administration] talk about something unconstitutional this year—the removal of birthright citizenship,” Pritzker told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday. “We’re going to stand in the way of an unconstitutional order. We’ll also stand in the way of them breaking the law in Illinois,” the governor said.

Illinois passed the TRUST Act in 2017, which prevents state and local law enforcement from assisting, supporting or participating in federal immigration enforcement actions without a criminal warrant. However, Pritzker said his state was ready to comply with federal officials attempting to deport migrants with criminal charges. Read more at CNN.

2 days ago
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