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During an exchange with reporters aboard Air Force One, President Donald Trump reignited long-running controversies surrounding Rep. Ilhan Omar, suggesting she should not remain in the United States if allegations about her past are accurate. Pointing to years of claims about her immigration history, he said the situation is reason enough to expel her.

“Somalia, where you have a Congressman goes around telling everybody about our Constitution, yet she supposedly came into our country by marrying her brother,” Trump said while speaking to reporters on Air Force One. “Well, if that’s true, she shouldn’t be a Congressman, and we should throw her the —- out of our country.”

Trump, continuing his remarks, argued that the U.S. doesn’t benefit from individuals who arrive in the country only to, in his words, lecture Americans. While fielding questions, he noted that the nation does not need people “telling us what to do.”

His pointed comments emerged as Democrats — with Omar at the forefront — have been vigorously defending Minnesota’s Somali community. That defense has drawn scrutiny amid reports alleging “widespread fraud of taxpayers’ healthcare programs” tied to Somali-run operations. Trump, for his part, has repeatedly vowed to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) amnesty for Somali nationals, citing concerns about billions in missing funds.

Breitbart’s Warner Todd Huston documented Omar’s response to Trump’s rhetoric, noting that she accused him of issuing “lawless threats” toward Somali immigrants. Huston wrote that Omar has adopted an aggressive tone in pushing back, standing firmly with Somalians while targeting Trump’s comments.

“Unsurprisingly, Somali native and U.S. congresswoman Ilhan Omar has been very vocal in her support for her fellow countrymen. She has also attacked Trump for ‘lawless threats’ she says he has leveled against Somalians.”

Trump’s criticisms escalated further in a Thanksgiving post on Truth Social, where he blasted both Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Omar. He cast Omar as a constant critic of America, invoking harsh and inflammatory language while accusing her of benefiting from fraudulent immigration.

“The seriously retarded Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both, while the worst ‘Congressman/woman’ in our Country, Ilhan Omar, always wrapped in her swaddling hijab, and who probably came into the U.S.A. illegally in that you are not allowed to marry your brother, does nothing but hatefully complain about our Country, its Constitution, and how ‘badly’ she is treated, when her place of origin is a decadent, backward, and crime ridden nation, which is essentially not even a country for lack of Government, Military, Police, schools, etc,” Trump said.

Long before these exchanges, conservative writers had been pressing the same accusations. Powerline reported in early 2020 that the Daily Mail had revealed statements from a Somali community figure claiming Omar “DID marry her brother” and had admitted she would do whatever necessary to secure U.S. documentation for him.

The blog’s February update leaned heavily on a report by Martin Gould: “Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t know that Ilhan Omar married her brother in 2009? It has been my mission in life to get the word out over the past three and a half years. Today Martin Gould reports for The Daily Mail: ‘Ilhan Omar DID marry her brother and said she would “do what she had to do to get him “papers” to keep him in U.S.”, reveals Somali community leader.’ Maybe word will get out now that is has been reported in the most widely read English-language news site in the world.”

Gould’s findings came after spending time in Minneapolis and reconnecting with the original Somali source who first brought the allegations to light. Powerline described the relationship between the writer and the source, Abdihaikm Osman Nur, tracing it back nearly a decade and detailing the efforts made to corroborate the story.

A separate Powerline entry from July 2019 resurfaced additional claims asserting that Omar’s entire arrival in the U.S. was based on an invented identity. According to the report, Omar allegedly “entered the United States as a fraudulent member of the ‘Omar’ family,” joining relatives who were not biologically connected to her in order to secure asylum.

The article outlined the alleged split within her genetic family, claiming that three members came to America under falsified names while the rest obtained asylum in the United Kingdom. The outlet reiterated that her birth name was Ilhan Nur Said Elmi and noted that she and Ahmed Nur Said Elmi were married in 2009 and “did not divorce until 2017.”

In September, Trump again took to Truth Social to condemn Somalia, describing the country as mired in chaos and dysfunction. He also revisited the accusation that Omar had circumvented immigration rules, questioning how someone in her position could dictate policy to the United States.

In that post, he argued that Somalia was “plagued by a lack of central Government control, persistent Poverty, Hunger, Resurgent Terrorism, Piracy, decades of Civil War, Corruption, and pervasive Violence.” He went on to criticize Omar for telling the U.S. government “how to run America” and wondered aloud whether she was “the one that married her brother in order to gain Citizenship.”

{Matzav.com}

A political firestorm erupted Sunday night after MK Yair Lapid unveiled his party’s plan to introduce legislation stripping voting rights from Israelis who are deemed fit for IDF service but do not enlist—while explicitly exempting the Arab public from the proposal. The announcement immediately triggered condemnation across the chareidi political spectrum.

Lapid defended the idea by challenging the assumption that the ballot is beyond scrutiny. “I don’t know who invented this phrase that the right to vote is sacred. It is not sacred. In a democratic state, there are rights and obligations, and one depends on the other – they cannot be separated,” he said, arguing that civic privileges must reflect civic duties.

He went on to clarify that the law would apply only to those who receive a draft notice but refuse to show up. “For example, the Arab public in Israel is not summoned to enlist, so it does not apply to them. Or people with mental or physical conditions who cannot enlist – it does not apply to them either. It applies only to those who received a draft order, are healthy, and can report to the induction center but choose not to. They are offenders.”

Lapid added that he plans to advance another bill targeting incarcerated individuals. “I also intend to submit, alongside this, a law stating that prisoners will not be able to vote in Israel, as well as those who fail to report to the induction center,” he said, indicating that the effort is part of a broader campaign to link voting rights with compliance to the law.

Shas responded with immediate fury, accusing the Yesh Atid leader of singling out the chareidi community. The party declared: “Yair Lapid, who hastened to clarify that he did not intend to revoke voting rights from Arabs but only from haredim, revealed his true face and the depth of his hatred toward Jews who observe Torah and mitzvot. According to Lapid, Jews who love the land, study Torah, and pray daily for the safety of IDF soldiers are worth less than Arabs, some of whom support Palestinian terror. Shameful and disgraceful.”

UTJ MK Meir Porush also issued a blistering retort, directing his remarks at Israel’s minister responsible for combating antisemitism. “Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Chikli, you need not look abroad for battles against antisemites – Yair Lapid is right here in the Israeli parliament, with ideas that even antisemites abroad would not dare voice today. Will Lapid and Liberman’s next law be a ban on haredim driving on Israeli roads paved with state funds?”

{Matzav.com}

Shin Bet chief David Zini made a discreet trip to Egypt on Sunday, sitting down with the country’s intelligence director for high-level talks. Kan News reported that their conversation centered on the evolving situation in the Gaza Strip and how both sides envision advancing the next stage of their ongoing understandings. The visit is widely viewed as Zini’s first formal overseas engagement since assuming his position.

Earlier in the day, a senior Palestinian Arab official told Agence France-Presse that Egyptian security services have already begun preparing Palestinian Arab police forces for their anticipated role in governing Gaza once hostilities end. This training effort has quietly been underway for months.

According to that report, Egypt ran an extensive program in March in which more than 500 Palestinian Arab police personnel and operatives were put through physical, tactical, and classroom-based instruction. Hundreds more have been participating in additional rounds of training since September, part of a growing pipeline Egypt intends to expand.

Several months back, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Ati publicly explained that Cairo’s plan was to train and equip as many as 5,000 Palestinian Arab officers who could be deployed in Gaza when a new administrative framework takes shape. That initiative appears to be moving forward.

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed added further context, noting that under the Fatah-Hamas understanding reached with Egyptian mediation at the end of 2024, the technocratic administration expected to govern Gaza after the war will enlist 5,000 newly trained police recruits. These will serve alongside another 5,000 officers who had previously worked under the Hamas-run security structure.

Another Palestinian Arab source indicated that the entire training and preparation effort is being conducted in full coordination with the Palestinian Authority. These officers, the source said, will be funded through the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, which is slated to oversee their salaries once they take up their roles in Gaza.

{Matzav.com}

Newly unsealed intelligence papers from Argentina expose a disturbing truth: SS Commander Josef Mengele, the notorious Auschwitz butcher known as the “Angel of Death,” lived openly in South America for years even though officials were fully aware of who he was. According to the documents, first highlighted by the New York Post, authorities tracked his steps yet never managed—nor decisively attempted—to bring him to justice.

Mengele had slipped out of Germany in 1949, vanishing just as the revelations of the Nuremberg trials made clear the full scale of his atrocities. His sadistic medical “research,” which included handpicking victims for the gas chambers and carrying out gruesome experiments, earned him his infamous title long before he disappeared overseas.

The intelligence reports, released by Argentinian President Javier Milei, reveal that South American authorities regularly exchanged information about his whereabouts. Still, bungled timing, bureaucratic delays, and even media leaks repeatedly gave him the chance to slip away. Each misstep widened the gap between his crimes and the justice he never faced.

Using an Italian passport under the alias Helmut Gregor, Mengele entered Argentina in 1949. By the middle of the next decade, the records show that officials already knew that the “Angel of Death” was living among them. Yet he continued building a life there without interference.

One document contains a harrowing newspaper interview with Auschwitz survivor José Furmanski, who said: “He gathered twins of all ages in the camp and subjected them to experiments that always ended in death. Between the children, the elderly, and women… what horrors.”

Incredibly, by 1956 Mengele felt confident enough to contact the West German Embassy in Buenos Aires to request his original birth certificate. He even began using his real name again. A 1957 memo recounts how he “explained” why he had entered Argentina under an alias: “He (Mengele) demonstrated being nervous, having stated that during the war he acted as a physician in the German S.S., in Czechoslovakia, where the Red Cross labeled him a ‘war criminal.’”

The files further detail that Argentine authorities knew exactly where he lived—Carapachy, near Buenos Aires. They were aware that he had married his brother’s widow and that his father visited him, possibly to support his medical ventures.

When West Germany finally issued an arrest warrant in 1959, the request for extradition was swiftly rejected by a local judge who claimed it amounted to “political persecution.” International calls for action escalated, but Mengele slipped away once more, this time into Paraguay, where he obtained citizenship and resumed life under government protection. Police raided his Buenos Aires laboratory, only to find an empty workspace.

Later investigations depended almost entirely on foreign press reports. By 1960, Mengele had settled in Brazil with the help of sympathetic German farmers. There he lived out the rest of his days, dying from a stroke while swimming near Bertioga. Buried under a fabricated name, his remains were finally unearthed in 1985—decades too late for the justice denied to his countless victims.

{Matzav.com}

Gov. Tim Walz used his appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday to level sharp criticism at President Donald Trump, insisting he sees troubling signs about Trump’s ability to handle the responsibilities of the presidency. Walz, the Democrats’ unsuccessful vice-presidential candidate, said he believes the president’s recent conduct raises serious red flags.

The conversation turned tense when host Kristen Welker revisited Walz’s call for Trump to make his MRI results public. “Part of your initial response to President Trump’s post was to call for him to release the results of his MRI, and I want to give you a chance to give our viewers exactly a sense of what you’re — what exactly are you suggesting by that, governor?” she asked.

Walz argued that Trump’s holiday behavior was out of step with ordinary moments Americans shared over Thanksgiving. “Well, here we got a guy on Thanksgiving where we spent time with our families, we ate, we played Yahtzee, we cheered for football or whatever, this guy is apparently in a room ranting about everything else. This is not normal behavior. It is not healthy. And presidents throughout time have released a couple of things. They’ve released their tax returns, not Donald Trump. And they released their medical records, not Donald Trump. And look, the MRI is one thing, but I think what’s most concerning about this is — as your viewers out there are listening, has anyone in the history of the world ever have an MRI assigned to them and have no idea what it was for, as he says?”

From Walz’s perspective, Trump’s comments and late-night messages suggest deeper issues. He continued, “So look, it’s clear the president’s fading physically, I think the mental capacity again, ranting, you know, crazily at midnight on Thanksgiving about everything else. There’s reasons for us to be concerned. This is a guy that randomly says the airspace over Venezuela is closed. He’s ruminating on if you could win a nuclear war. Look, this is a serious position. It’s the most powerful position in the world. And we have someone at midnight throwing around slurs that demonize our children. At the same time, he’s not solving any of the problems. So I’m deeply concerned that he is incapable of doing the job.”

{Matzav.com}

Zohran Mamdani’s landslide election as New York City’s next mayor has sent shockwaves through the city’s real estate establishment, prompting a scramble among developers, landlords, and property organizations who now fear a political landscape they no longer control, Politico reported Sunday.

The incoming administration is preparing to unveil one of the most aggressive housing interventions in city history: a proposed four-year freeze on rents for nearly 1 million rent-stabilized units — homes occupied by roughly 2 million New Yorkers. According to Politico, Mamdani’s camp views the freeze as a lifeline for residents overwhelmed by soaring living costs, while building owners warn it could push thousands of regulated properties into insolvency.

Real estate interests are now bracing for open conflict. Once accustomed to shaping policy in both City Hall and Albany, industry leaders are exploring an array of defensive strategies. They are weighing potential lawsuits, lobbying maneuvers in the state legislature, and even urging outgoing Mayor Eric Adams to make last-minute appointments to the Rent Guidelines Board in an effort to slow Mamdani’s influence, the report said.

Landlords argue that many stabilized buildings are already struggling to stay afloat. They point to stagnant regulated rents paired with skyrocketing taxes, insurance premiums, and maintenance costs — a combination they say has destabilized their financial footing.

This intensifying battle marks the continuation of a political realignment years in the making. For decades, property owners held enormous sway, securing favorable outcomes through alliances with Republican state senators and close ties inside City Hall. That power structure collapsed after Democrats took full control of Albany in 2019 and passed sweeping tenant-rights legislation that closed off major avenues for rent increases or deregulation.

Meanwhile, tenant groups — driven by surging rents and a vacancy rate under 1% for apartments priced below $2,400 — have coalesced around Mamdani as a symbol of their frustration. His tongue-in-cheek shirt mocking Adams for raising his rent went viral, turning him into a champion of tenant activism.

Supporters of a freeze argue it is essential for preserving what remains of the city’s affordable housing stock. But critics say the real battle may be over process rather than ideology. The Rent Guidelines Board, which is required to base its decisions on annual financial data, will publish new findings this spring showing whether landlord incomes or expenses justify a freeze. Owner groups contend Mamdani is staking out a decision before the legally mandated numbers are even available — a move they claim could open the door to litigation.

Mamdani, for his part, has recently suggested that any freeze should be matched with relief on landlords’ most burdensome costs, including property taxes, water charges, and insurance — all of which owners argue have spiraled beyond reason. Even so, the essential divide remains unchanged: tenants are seeking stability, landlords are fighting for survival, and New York’s new left-wing mayor is signaling that renters will take precedence in the coming era.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump reportedly delivered Nicolás Maduro a blunt ultimatum last week: flee Venezuela at once if you want to survive. According to a Miami Herald account, Trump conveyed the message during a tense private call with the embattled strongman — a conversation that collapsed in minutes after Maduro attempted to negotiate terms the U.S. would not accept.

Sources told the Herald that during their discussion, Maduro insisted he should be allowed to retain command of Venezuela’s armed forces even if he permitted free elections, and he also pushed for sweeping international amnesty for himself and his inner circle. Both requests were quickly dismissed by Trump, who countered with a stark proposal: leave the country now.

The collapse of the talks prompted anxious reactions in Washington, where lawmakers warned that the crisis fueled by Venezuelan-linked narcotics trafficking is already claiming massive American casualties. “We have a war that’s coming through fentanyl, through opioids, through cocaine,” US Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) told “Fox News Sunday,” calling attention to the deadly flow he says is tied to Maduro’s regime. “It killed 100,000 Americans last year,” he added. “That’s twice the number of people that died in eight years of Vietnam — 4,000 Pennsylvanians.”

After the failed call, Trump escalated pressure. He publicly declared Venezuela’s airspace “closed in its entirety” and ordered U.S. naval and Marine forces — including the USS Gerald R. Ford and an amphibious-capable Marine Expeditionary Unit — to maintain a presence offshore. Over the weekend, he cautioned that military operations could begin “very soon.”

Trump confirmed to reporters on Sunday that he had spoken with Maduro, remarking only, “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly.” According to the New York Times, the conversation occurred late in the week of Nov. 16, not long after Trump had signaled a willingness to engage directly with the socialist ruler.

Behind the scenes, U.S. and Venezuelan officials reportedly discussed what a lawful surrender might look like, given that the State Department has posted a $50 million reward for Maduro. Trump told Maduro that he, his wife, and his son could depart without harm — but that the exit needed to be immediate.

A source familiar with the call told the Herald, “First, Maduro asked for global amnesty for any crimes he and his group had committed, and that was rejected.” The source added, “Second, they asked to retain control of the armed forces — similar to what happened in Nicaragua in ’91 with Violeta Chamorro. In return, they would allow free elections.” That, too, was rejected, as the U.S. demanded a prompt resignation. The Herald also noted that amnesty was offered to Maduro’s senior allies if they agreed to step aside.

As diplomacy broke down, Trump vowed to confront Venezuela’s drug-trafficking networks “by land,” further setting the stage for a dangerous escalation. By Saturday, his social media declaration sealing Venezuela’s skies triggered alarm throughout the region. Flight-tracking maps soon reflected the change, with international aircraft avoiding Venezuelan airspace and rerouting flights to Aruba and Curaçao.

Compounding the tensions, major airlines suspended service after the FAA cited “heightened military activity in and around Venezuela.” Caracas retaliated by revoking operating permissions for Iberia, TAP, Avianca, Latam, Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and GOL, deepening the country’s isolation. Maduro and his allies accused Trump of “colonial” aggression and charged that Washington aims to seize Venezuela’s oil reserves through force.

McCormick defended Trump’s posture as a necessary strike against ruthless cartels. “When President Trump was running, he and I both campaigned on the same thing, which was [to] secure the border, designate the cartels as narco-terrorists, and use our military in a strategic-focused way to destroy this cartel infrastructure,” he said. “I think that’s what’s happening with Venezuela.”

The U.S. Secretary of the Navy likewise characterized the struggle as an outright war. “Drugs kill more Americans than we’ve ever lost in wars. So I think at the end of the day, the president has correctly identified this as an attack on the country, which it is,” John Phelan said on “My View with Lara Trump.” The CDC recorded over 105,000 overdose deaths in 2023 — nearly double the American fatalities in Vietnam.

Although the White House has pointed to Venezuelan gangs as key players in narcotics distribution, a 2019 DEA report noted that most fentanyl reaching the U.S. actually originates in Mexico, made with Chinese precursor chemicals. Venezuela was among 23 nations Trump designated in September as “major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries,” a list that also included China, India, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.

Despite an expanding U.S. military posture in the Caribbean, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) emphasized that Trump has ruled out inserting U.S. troops into Venezuela. “No, he’s made it very clear we’re not going to put troops into Venezuela. What we’re trying to do is protect our own shores,” Mullin said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

For months, the administration has been carrying out aggressive maritime operations targeting alleged narco-vessels from Venezuela and neighboring states. At least 21 lethal strikes have been conducted so far. One mission has drawn particular scrutiny: a bombing near Trinidad in which survivors of a hit drug boat were allegedly killed in a subsequent “double tap” strike — an order attributed to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to “kill everybody,” which he denies. The operation has sparked congressional investigations and human rights outrage, with critics calling the killings extrajudicial.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump unleashed a blistering attack on Joe Biden and his top officials on Sunday, using a Truth Social post to charge that the administration’s approach to immigration and asylum has placed Americans in danger.

His comments came in the aftermath of a deadly incident involving two National Guard members—one killed and one critically wounded—in an attack authorities say was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the United States under Biden-era policies. Trump directly tied the tragedy to what he called reckless border management. “Crooked Joe Biden, [Alejandro] Mayorkas, and so-called ‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris really screwed our Country by letting anyone and everyone come in totally unchecked and unvetted!” Trump posted.

The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, now faces charges for the killing of 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom. Officials report that Lakanwal arrived in America as part of Operation Allies Welcome, the massive relocation effort created after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

On Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the program rushed tens of thousands of Afghans into the country before thorough screening could be completed, a problem she attributed to the rapid collapse of the Afghan government. According to Noem, Lakanwal’s case highlights the dangers created by those gaps, insisting he was allowed into the United States with insufficient vetting.

Mayorkas, whom Trump singled out in his post, served as Biden’s Homeland Security secretary throughout all four years of Biden’s term.

{Matzav.com}

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The latest round of U.S.–Ukraine discussions stretched across four hours in Florida, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the session as “very productive,” even as he stressed that the path to ending Russia’s assault on Ukraine still requires considerable effort.

Rubio revealed that Steve Witkoff—President Donald Trump’s envoy for the negotiations—will outline the latest developments directly to Vladimir Putin during a trip to Moscow this week. He emphasized to reporters that the talks involve complicated dynamics: “There are a lot of moving parts, and obviously there’s another party involved here that will have to be a part of the equation, and that will continue later this week, when Mr. Witkoff travels to Moscow, although we’ve also been in touch in varying degrees with the Russian side, but we have a pretty good understanding of their views as well.” Rubio then cautioned, “Much work remains.”

According to Rubio, the discussions are not only focused on achieving a cessation of hostilities but also on shaping a lasting economic recovery for Ukraine. He characterized the American outlook as firmly grounded yet hopeful, noting that peace must come with a viable long-term future. “It’s not just about the terms that ends fighting,” he added. “It’s about also the terms that set up Ukraine for long-term prosperity. I think we build on that today, but there’s more work to be done.”

Representing the United States at this delicate moment were Rubio, Witkoff, and Jared Kushner. Their meeting took place as Ukraine simultaneously contends with Russian pressure on the battlefield and internal turmoil fueled by a corruption scandal. Diplomats on both sides have been targeting revisions to a draft plan developed in previous U.S.–Russia exchanges, a proposal that critics have argued leaned too far toward Moscow.

As the Sunday talks opened at the Shell Bay Club—Witkoff’s upscale development in Hallandale Beach—Rubio sought to reassure Kyiv: “The end goal is, obviously, not just the end of the war,” Rubio said. “But it’s also about securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperity.” He reminded the participants that “This is not just about peace deals.”

Ukraine’s national security chief, Rustem Umerov, responded by expressing appreciation for American support—remarks clearly intended for Trump, who has sometimes said Ukraine has not shown enough gratitude. “U.S. is hearing us,” Umerov said. “U.S. is supporting us. U.S. is working beside us.” He repeated Ukraine’s thanks in brief comments to reporters afterward, though he offered no specifics regarding what was accomplished during the meeting. “Our objective is a prosperous, strong Ukraine,” Umerov said. “We discussed all the important matters that are important for Ukraine, for Ukrainian people, and U.S. was super supportive.”

Rubio added that U.S. goals extend beyond halting the war. “We also want to help Ukraine be safe forever, so never again will they face another invasion. And equally importantly, we want them to enter an age of true prosperity,” he said, describing a future in which Ukraine is rebuilt stronger than before.

The shake-up in Kyiv’s negotiating team added another layer to the talks. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the resignation of his powerful chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, whose home was searched by anti-corruption authorities investigating a sprawling kickback scheme that siphoned $100 million from the energy sector. Yermak had been Ukraine’s lead negotiator, meeting with Rubio in Geneva just a week earlier.

Ukraine’s delegation in Florida included top military commander Andrii Hnatov and presidential adviser Oleksandr Bevz, who joined Umerov in attempting to advance a reworked peace proposal. The initial framework—which Trump has more recently downplayed as merely a “concept” or “map” in need of being “fine-tuned”—had envisioned restricting Ukraine’s military, barring NATO entry, and mandating elections within 100 days. It also originally called for surrendering the Donbas region entirely to Russia, something Ukraine has rejected. Negotiators say changes have been made, but details remain scarce.

Trump said Tuesday that Witkoff—and possibly Kushner as well—would travel to Moscow in the coming days for another round of talks with Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Russian state TV that Putin will host Witkoff before departing for India on Thursday. Witkoff and Kushner, both seasoned dealmakers from the real estate world, previously helped craft a 20-point proposal that produced a ceasefire in Gaza.

Zelenskyy posted on X that his delegation intended to “swiftly and substantively work out the steps needed to end the war.” In his Saturday night address, he praised the American team, saying the U.S. side was “demonstrating a constructive approach.” He added: “In the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps to determine how to bring the war to a dignified end.”

Events on the ground underscored the urgency. Missile and drone strikes around Kyiv on Saturday killed at least three people and wounded many more, according to Ukrainian officials. Additional overnight attacks into Sunday left one dead and 19 injured—including children—after a drone slammed into a nine-story apartment building in Vyshhorod. Zelenskyy later reported on Telegram that Russia launched 122 strike drones and ballistic missiles. “Such attacks occur daily. This week alone, Russians have used nearly 1,400 strike drones, 1,100 guided aerial bombs and 66 missiles against our people. That is why we must strengthen Ukraine’s resilience every day. Missiles and air defense systems are necessary, and we must also actively work with our partners for peace,” Zelenskyy said. “We need real, reliable solutions that will help end the war,” he added.

Another flashpoint emerged after Ukraine claimed responsibility for striking a major oil terminal at Novorossiysk, operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium. Kazakhstan criticized the attack, warning Kyiv that such actions jeopardize bilateral relations. “We view what has occurred as an action harming the bilateral relations of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Ukraine, and we expect the Ukrainian side to take effective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future,” Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry said.

The Florida meeting ended without public disclosure of specific breakthroughs, but both sides suggested the pieces are beginning to shift—just as the U.S. envoy prepares to sit down with Putin in Moscow.

{Matzav.com}

A new NBC News survey reveals a sharp deterioration in the public’s confidence in the value of a bachelor’s degree, with a solid majority now saying the investment simply doesn’t add up. The latest findings show that more than 6 in 10 registered voters believe a four-year college education is no longer worth what students are expected to pay.

Only 33% of respondents still view a degree as a sound investment — a staggering 20-point collapse since June 2013. In that same time span, the proportion who say a college degree has lost its value has soared to 63%, a rise of 23 points over twelve years.

The downward trend spans nearly every demographic category, according to the poll, signaling a broad rethinking of the role — and price — of higher education. What was once a bipartisan belief has fractured dramatically.

Republican voters, once more favorable toward college, have seen the most dramatic reversal. Ten years ago, 55% of Republicans said a four-year degree was worthwhile, compared to 38% who said it wasn’t. Today, that sentiment has flipped entirely: only 22% see the degree as worthwhile, while 74% now say it is not.

Across the full sample, most respondents agreed with the statement that college is “not worth the cost because people often graduate without specific job skills and with a large amount of debt to pay off,” as the survey phrased it.

One of the clearest drivers of this shift is the relentless rise in tuition. When adjusted for inflation, College Board data shows that in-state tuition at public universities has doubled since 1995, and private college tuition has climbed 75% in that same period, NBC News reported.

Economist Preston Cooper of the American Enterprise Institute attributed the skepticism to outcomes that simply don’t justify the cost for many students. “Some people drop out, or sometimes people end up with a degree that is not worth a whole lot in the labor market, and sometimes people pay way too much for a degree relative to the value of what that credential is,” he told NBC News. He added, “These cases have created enough exceptions to the rule that a bachelor’s degree always pays off, so that people are now more skeptical.”

NBC News polled 1,000 registered voters between Oct. 24 and 28. The margin of error is +/– 3.1 percentage points.

{Matzav.com}

Naftali Bennett declared that he would back a pardon for Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, provided it comes as part of a deal removing Netanyahu from the political arena. His announcement appeared on X, where he cast Israel’s current climate as dangerously unstable.

Bennett argued that the country has been pushed to the edge by deep internal fractures. “In recent years, the State of Israel has been led into chaos and to the brink of a civil war that threatens the very existence of the state,” he writes on X. He framed Netanyahu stepping aside as the key to national reset, insisting that Israelis must end the ongoing legal and political battles.

He laid out his proposal plainly. “In order to rescue Israel from the chaos, I will support a binding arrangement that includes a respectful retirement from political life alongside the end of the trial,” he says. “That way, we can let it go, unite, and rebuild the state together.” Bennett portrayed such an agreement as both a practical and moral way to move the country forward.

The context behind Bennett’s stance is rooted in recent political history. He and Yair Lapid headed the short-lived coalition that removed Netanyahu from office for a year and a half beginning in 2021, only for Netanyahu to return after his bloc prevailed in the 2022 vote. Surveys since then have routinely suggested that a new slate led by Bennett could outperform Netanyahu in the next contest, which must take place by next October.

{Matzav.com}

In a wide-ranging conversation with Channel 12, attorney Micha Fettman — who once served on Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s defense team — laid out why President Isaac Herzog is legally barred from granting Netanyahu a pardon unless the prime minister does something he has repeatedly refused to do: admit guilt. As Fettman put it plainly, “A pardon is given to an offender – that’s what the law stipulates.”

Fettman pointed to the 1984 Bus 300 case as the closest historical comparison, noting that it involved one of the only pre-trial pardons in Israeli legal history. But even that exceptional episode, he stressed, required full acknowledgment of responsibility. The Shin Bet agents involved had conceded what they had done before receiving clemency from then-president Chaim Herzog.

That affair centered on two Palestinian terrorists who attempted to hijack an intercity bus carrying dozens of Israelis. After the hijacking was foiled, agents captured the terrorists alive, executed them in custody, and subsequently lied about the incident. When the truth emerged, it triggered a national scandal, senior resignations, and a criminal investigation — ultimately ending with presidential pardons before the trial even began.

Fettman underscored that even in that extraordinary situation, the High Court was emphatic that admitting guilt was a non-negotiable condition. He added that “there’s no way on earth” the attorney general or state prosecution would advise President Herzog to pardon Netanyahu without the same requirement.

He noted that on the rare occasions when presidents issued pardons contrary to the Justice Ministry’s position, it was always for severely ill private citizens — never for a sitting prime minister facing corruption charges.

His remarks surfaced just as Netanyahu submitted a massive 111-page pardon request to the president, accompanied by a personal letter arguing that clemency would enable him to focus exclusively on leading Israel “in these critical times” and “would help mend rifts between different sectors of the public.” Netanyahu did not acknowledge guilt, offer remorse, or retreat from his longstanding claim that the prosecution against him is fundamentally flawed.

Fettman, who stepped down from Netanyahu’s legal defense team five years ago, suggested that by framing the request as one made “for the good of the country,” Netanyahu may have inadvertently opened the door for Herzog to conclude that the national interest could require conditions — including the possibility of Netanyahu stepping down from public life.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu publicly reiterated that he would not consider seeking a pardon if it required admitting guilt.

Netanyahu currently faces charges across three separate cases, including one count of bribery and three counts each of fraud and breach of trust. His trial, which began in 2020, remains far from conclusion, and he continues to adamantly deny every allegation against him.

{Matzav.com}

A bruising online fight erupted on X over the past 24 hours after Elizabeth Tsurkov sharply condemned Channel 12’s description of an incident in the southern Gaza Strip. Her post triggered an immediate and fiery response from political commentator Amit Segal, setting off a back-and-forth that quickly drew widespread attention.

The televised report at the center of the blowup stated: “The Air Force this morning eliminated two suspects in the southern Gaza Strip who crossed the yellow line, conducted suspicious activities on the ground, and approached troops.” Within minutes of its broadcast, Arab outlets asserted that the individuals killed were actually children, reported to be 10 and 12 years old.

Tsurkov — who endured abduction by the Kta’ib Hezbollah terror group in Baghdad in March 2023 and was freed in September 2025 — shared an English rendering of the Channel 12 phrasing and commented: “How Israeli Ch 12 reported on the killing of 10 and 12-year-old boys in Khan Younis today. Ch 12 is the most watched channel in Israel and represents the mainstream.”

Segal blasted her critique with a biting attack that immediately escalated the dispute. He wrote: “What an extraordinary country Israel is, that it makes an effort to redeem from captivity even its greatest slanderers – captivity that has nothing to do with it and did not happen through any fault of its own. Even scum like Tsurkov don’t deserve to rot in terrorist captivity.”

Tsurkov insisted that her post was straightforward and that Segal’s outrage was misplaced. She fired back: “If you consider an English translation of a Channel 12 headline as ‘slandering’ the country, maybe it’s worth changing the coverage so it fits journalistic standards. And the State of Israel indeed worked for my release, and I thank those involved that they didn’t listen to your public calls while I was still in captivity, not to.”

Segal responded with renewed force, doubling down on his accusation that she routinely maligns the state. He declared: “You are an obsessive person, and you hate our country. Instead of sitting silently and introspecting on the high price your stupid adventures cost the country over the years, you still dare to spit into the well with a handful of English tweets.”

Tsurkov rejected the characterization and defended her right to critique government policy without being labeled an enemy of the state. She replied: “I don’t hate the country. I criticize its policies in many areas and express my appreciation for those in others. If you want to live under a rule where it’s forbidden to express criticism, move to Gaza.”

Segal then issued his final volley, accusing her of employing rhetoric that echoes hostile foreign narratives. His closing shot read: “You don’t hate the country, you’re just in a years-long ‘Tourette’s episode’ of slandering the country using the cheapest means of enemy propaganda, including the systematic belittling of October 7th, and the systematic magnification of the results of IDF activity. I will not go to Gaza because, unlike you, I do not tend to place responsibility for my actions on the state. But you are welcome to do so.”

{Matzav.com}

Dublin councilors have halted plans to rename a park currently honoring a past Israeli president that had drawn criticism from the Irish and Israeli governments, the city council says. Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin, who has led the country to new heights of antisemitism since Hamas’s October 7 massacre in Israel, issued a statement in […]

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday that the Afghan national accused of gunning down two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., last week was likely “radicalized” after arriving in the United States, and vowing mass deportations of immigrants from “third world” countries, while US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the gunman shouted “Allah Akbar!” […]

BREAKING: Person shot in Flatbush on Avenue J and East 16 Street. NYPD and Flatbush Shomrim are on the scene. Additional details momentarily.

A planned launch of reconstruction work in Rafah has been indefinitely pushed off after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich refused to sign off on the necessary budget, according to a report from i24NEWS that quoted a security official.

The rebuilding effort was originally slated to get underway on Sunday, November 30. With the finance minister declining approval, however, officials have now frozen the initiative until a new decision is reached. Those familiar with Smotrich’s position confirmed the move and sharply articulated his reasoning, stating, “Israeli citizens will not pay out of pocket for the reconstruction of Gaza. There is a limit to every trick.”

While budgetary disagreement is one explanation for the holdup, another security source offered a completely different assessment. According to that official, work cannot begin because armed operatives are still hiding in Rafah, creating conditions too dangerous for crews to enter the area.

In the meantime, even the initial step of clearing out the rubble has yet to begin.

The reconstruction phase is intended to roll out only during the second stage of the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas. Yet progress toward that stage is stalled, as two deceased hostages are still being held by the terror groups in Gaza—an unresolved issue that continues to prolong the conclusion of the ceasefire’s first phase.

{Matzav.com}

A routine family outing turned extraordinary after a young gamer unexpectedly uncovered a concealed stockpile of weapons not far from the Dimona nuclear facility. The revelation has prompted a full-scale investigation by Israeli security authorities.

The discovery occurred when a teenager, absorbed in completing a mission on the Pokémon Go app, wandered up a cliffside in the Mamshit National Park area. While following the game’s prompts, the teen came across a stash that stunned both his family and, later, law enforcement.

According to i24NEWS, the cache held a troubling assortment of military-grade equipment: three M16 rifles outfitted and ready for action, along with multiple magazines for both rifles and handguns, as well as a military vest and coat. The manner in which the weapons were concealed suggested they were positioned for quick access and immediate operational deployment—despite being only a few hundred meters from one of Israel’s most sensitive sites.

Initial assessments by police point toward criminal involvement. Investigators believe the arsenal was stolen from an IDF base and was likely connected to a Bedouin crime network, though the inquiry remains ongoing.

The moment the teen realized what he had found, his family contacted security forces without delay. Responding units secured the area, collected the weapons, and began a deeper probe into who placed them there—and for what purpose.

{Matzav.com}

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday that he would support a presidential pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — but only if Netanyahu permanently withdraws from political life. Bennett announced his position in a post on X/Twitter, framing the move as a necessary step to pull Israel back from the brink. “In recent […]