Feed aggregator

Iranian officials issued sharp warnings this week amid renewed tensions with Washington and Yerushalayim, after President Donald Trump indicated he could authorize additional US military action if Tehran resumes rebuilding its nuclear or ballistic missile capabilities.

Speaking earlier this week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States, Israel, and Europe of waging a broad campaign against his country. “We are in a full-scale war with the US, Israel, and Europe; they don’t want our country to remain stable,” he said, describing what he portrayed as escalating pressure on Iran.

Pezeshkian also addressed the possibility of military escalation in a post on the social media platform X, warning that Iran would respond forcefully to any attack. “Answer of Islamic Republic of Iran to any cruel aggression will be harsh and discouraging,” he wrote, without providing further details.

Trump’s remarks came during extensive discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. After their meeting, Trump publicly suggested that renewed strikes could be on the table if Iran attempts to reconstitute capabilities damaged during the recent conflict. “Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again,” Trump said during a news conference with Netanyahu after their meeting, “and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down. We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that’s not happening.”

The comments followed the June outbreak of a 12-day air war between Israel and Iran, which began after a surprise Israeli operation targeting senior Iranian military figures, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment facilities, and elements of Iran’s ballistic missile program. Israel said the strikes were intended to block Iran from approaching nuclear weaponization and to counter Tehran’s stated goal of destroying the Jewish state.

During that conflict, the United States conducted a single round of strikes against key Iranian nuclear facilities before quickly moving to broker a ceasefire between the two sides.

Trump later reinforced his warning, saying he would not hesitate to act again if developments warranted it. “If it’s confirmed, they know the consequences, and the consequences will be very powerful, maybe more powerful than the last time,” Trump said.

Iranian leaders responded swiftly. Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, posted a defiant message on X, asserting that “Iran’s #Missile_Capability⁩ and defense are not containable or permission-based. Any aggression will face an immediate #Harsh_Response⁩ beyond its planners’ imagination.” Shamkhani later shared the same message in Hebrew.

According to Iranian media reports, Pezeshkian himself narrowly survived the conflict and suffered a leg injury from an Israeli strike during the fighting.

Tehran, which has repeatedly vowed to wipe out Israel, has claimed that it is no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country, signaling to Western governments that it remains open to possible negotiations over its nuclear program.

US intelligence agencies, along with the International Atomic Energy Agency, have assessed that Iran last maintained an organized nuclear weapons program in 2003. However, prior to the war, Iran had been enriching uranium to levels of up to 60 percent — a short technical step from weapons-grade enrichment of 90 percent. Western experts and the IAEA say such levels have no civilian justification.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Reuven Feinstein, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Staten Island, has been hospitalized and is in need of a refuah.

All are asked to daven for the complete refuah of Shalom Reuven ben Shima.

{Matzav.com}

Health officials are warning of a potentially punishing flu season as a new strain of influenza circulates widely, prompting concern among doctors and researchers as winter illnesses accelerate nationwide.

The strain drawing attention has been dubbed the “super flu,” a variant of influenza A H3N2 known as subclade K. Previous H3N2 outbreaks have been associated with more intense illness and longer recovery periods compared to other flu strains.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that the variant first surged in the United Kingdom before spreading across Europe and Australia, eventually reaching the United States.

“The United Kingdom got hit pretty hard by this,” said Neil Maniar of Northeastern University. “I think that’s a pretty good harbinger of what we are likely to see here. This is going to be a very difficult flu season.”

People infected with the K subclade have reported classic flu symptoms such as high fever, severe body aches, extreme fatigue, persistent cough, sore throat, and intense headaches. Doctors say many patients are also experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain, gastrointestinal distress, and lingering weakness well beyond the acute phase of illness.

As case numbers continue to climb, physicians stress the importance of early treatment, particularly for patients at risk of severe disease. Antiviral medications remain a central tool in managing serious infections.

The CDC currently recommends four antiviral drugs: Tamiflu, Xofluza, Relenza, and Rapivab. Xofluza is prescribed as an oral treatment for uncomplicated flu in patients aged 5 and older. Relenza is approved for individuals 7 and older, while Rapivab can be administered to patients as young as 6 months.

“Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, get sufficient rest and take Tylenol or Advil to manage fever, headaches and muscle aches at home,” said Dr. Mark Mulligan of NYU Langone Health’s Vaccine Center.

Public health experts say warnings about the flu have been circulating since early fall, but the emergence of the super flu strain combined with lagging vaccination rates has intensified concern.

“This can be a very serious illness. We need to take it seriously, and we need to take measures to protect ourselves,” Maniar said. “As we go deeper into the flu season, this is likely to be a tough one.”

Infectious disease specialists fear that relatively low vaccine uptake could result in one of the most severe flu seasons in recent memory, though they emphasize there is still time to reduce the impact.

“It is certainly not too late, especially as we’re thinking about holiday gatherings and travel,” said Dr. Andrew Pekosz. “Now would be a great time for individuals to go out and get that last influenza vaccine or that COVID vaccine to provide one layer of protection for this holiday season.”

Some experts have noted concerns that this year’s flu vaccine may not be a perfect match for the K subtype. Pekosz said it nonetheless remains effective.

“There are three different influenza strains that cause influenza. The vaccine covers all three. And with two of them, it looks like there’s a pretty good match right now … and we think it’ll provide at least partial protection against this clade K H2N2 virus.”

The CDC continues to recommend annual flu vaccination for everyone aged 6 months and older.

While the latest nationwide flu data has been delayed due to the Christmas holiday, figures through mid-December already showed a sharp rise in positive cases. Virus activity has reached “very high” levels in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Louisiana, and Colorado. Manhattan alone recorded a 104% jump in infections earlier this month.

“We see the sudden spike in New York because of their more dense population,” said Dr. Ulysses Wu of Hartford Hospital. “They’re a center for international as well as domestic travel.”

Significant flu activity has also been reported in Connecticut, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, and South Carolina, adding to fears of a widespread and difficult season ahead.

{Matzav.com}

Fresh online chatter about President Donald Trump’s health surfaced after viewers scrutinized video from his high-stakes talks on Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, focusing on what some described as an unusual mark on his left hand.

Comments circulated quickly on X, where several users zeroed in on the appearance of Trump’s hand during the meeting. One user, Aaron Rupar, wrote: “There appears to be a hole in Trump’s left hand.” Another, Derek Guy, posted: “Seems to be a small hole at the site of discolouration.” A third commenter, Adam Parkhomenko, added: “Can’t use the right hand anymore. Docs had to switch hands.”

Parkhomenko’s remark referenced earlier explanations offered by the White House regarding bruising that had appeared on Trump’s right hand in recent months.

At the time, the White House said the discoloration was the result of frequent handshaking. Officials have not addressed any claims or speculation related to Trump’s left hand.

Questions about Trump’s health have periodically drawn attention, echoing the intense scrutiny faced by Joe Biden during his term in office.

Just last month, the White House confirmed that Trump underwent an MRI scan focused on his abdomen, saying the results were “perfectly normal.”

Trump has also stated publicly that he has taken multiple cognitive assessments and that he “aced” them each time.

{Matzav.com}

CHASDEI HASHEM: 20-year-old Leibel Lazaroff, an American bochur who was critically injured after being shot in the stomach and thigh during the Chanukah massacre at Bondi Beach, has taken his first steps since the attack.

Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen’s port city of Mukalla on Tuesday after a weapons shipment from the United Arab Emirates arrived for separatist forces in the war-torn country, and warned that it viewed Emirati actions as “extremely dangerous.” The bombing followed tensions over the advance of Emirates-backed separatist forces known as the Southern Transitional Council. The council and […]

The future of Israel’s proposed draft law is increasingly uncertain after a scheduled discussion was abruptly canceled and senior chareidi figures acknowledged that the chances of advancing the legislation during the current Knesset term have dropped sharply.

The debate, which had been set for Tuesday in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, was called off at the request of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. Publicly, the cancellation was attributed to other pressing committee matters, but behind the scenes, chareidi factions say they are coming to terms with the likelihood that the bill may not survive.

Initially, after the presentation of the draft law by committee chairman MK Boaz Bismuth, chareidi party leaders were told that the committee’s legal adviser, attorney Miri Frenkel-Shor, supported most of the bill’s core provisions. They were led to believe that if the law passed, the Knesset’s legal department would defend it against High Court petitions.

As time passed, however, senior chareidi officials realized that Frenkel-Shor in fact opposed many of the substantive elements of the new draft law. Several party leaders said they were surprised by the scope of her objections. Aside from one senior Shas figure, others had expected that she would seek adjustments but ultimately back the revised proposal.

With the committee legal adviser’s position now clear, chareidi factions are pinning their hopes on the Knesset’s chief legal adviser, attorney Sagit Afik, to support the law and defend it before the High Court, despite the stance taken at the committee level.

A senior chareidi lawmaker involved in the issue said that without such backing, the legislation is a nonstarter. “If the Knesset’s legal counsel does not commit to defending the law at the High Court, there is no reason for us to pass it,” he said. “That is the directive of the gedolim. The damage outweighs the benefit of passing a law that does not meet the High Court’s initial test and would immediately face an interim injunction. A central condition for advancing the law is legal support from the Knesset’s legal counsel.”

The same official explained that opposition from the Attorney General’s Office had been expected from the outset. “The government’s legal advisers are against us — that was clear from day one. Our hope was that the Knesset’s legal counsel would defend the law, so that even if it were ultimately struck down, there would be no interim order against it and it would take a year or two before being invalidated. But if Sagit Afik also does not support the law, there is a very high chance that an interim injunction will be issued.”

Legal sources in the Knesset, however, say the prospects of Afik breaking with the committee’s legal opinion are slim. One legal official noted that Frenkel-Shor also serves as deputy to the Knesset legal adviser and has been closely involved in draft legislation for more than a decade. “It is hard to see Sagit Afik turning her back on her and going against the legal position of the adviser who has accompanied every clause of this law,” the source said.

{Matzav.com}

New Yorkers will ring in the new year with another minimum wage hike, as hourly pay rises to $17 in New York City, Westchester and Long Island, and $16 across the rest of the state beginning Jan. 1. The increase marks the third minimum-wage hike in three years, part of a deal struck by Gov. […]

Yehuda Leib Lazarov, a Chabad-affiliated yeshiva student from Texas who was critically wounded in the terror attack in Sydney while assisting with a Chanukah event, underwent his seventh surgery overnight, his family said.

The update was delivered by his father, Rabbi Yosef Lazarov, a Chabad shaliach in Texas, who reported that the operation—performed under full anesthesia, as were the previous procedures—ended with what family members described as the “best possible outcome” under the circumstances.

Before being taken into surgery, Yehuda Leib asked to put on tefillin.

Earlier this week, Yehuda Leib received his personal tefillin back after they were examined by a certified sofer stam. He had been concerned that shrapnel from the attack may have damaged them. The inspection determined that the tefillin were fully kosher.

Yehuda Leib was injured while helping Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries organize a Chanukah event in Sydney. During the attack, he acted with notable presence of mind and courage, saving the life of a police officer who had been shot. According to accounts from those familiar with the incident, Yehuda Leib removed his shirt and used it to apply a tourniquet, stopping the bleeding and preventing the officer from bleeding to death.

Rabbi Lazarov previously described the dramatic moments during the attack, recounting that the wounded officer was incapacitated as the terrorist advanced toward them. “The officer was neutralized, and as the terrorist moved closer, Leib begged the officer to give him his gun, telling him that he was from Texas, licensed to carry a firearm and knew exactly how to use it—and if not, ‘we’re both going to die.’”

He continued, “As his father, I can testify to Leib’s extraordinary abilities. Despite that, Rabbi Eli was shot and killed, and shortly afterward Leib himself was shot twice—in the stomach and the leg—by shotgun and rifle fire, and now he is fighting for his life.”

Rabbi Lazarov added that he hopes Australia will one day recognize his son as a national hero. “Leib faces a long medical road with many surgeries ahead,” he said, noting that just a month earlier, Lazarov had played the piano and sung movingly at a memorial ceremony for other victims of terror.

According to his father, Yehuda Leib has reflected humbly on the events, saying that despite his efforts and nearly bleeding to death, “I wish I could have done more. I tried, but I was shot.”

All are asked to continue davening for the recovery of Yehuda Leib ben Mania.

{Matzav.com}

Why let New York City have all the fun with its Times Square ball drop on New Year’s Eve? Dozens of places across the U.S. will ring in 2026 by dropping a quirky assortment of fruits, vegetables, sea creatures and balls of all shapes and sizes. Many have a hometown flair. There’s the giant cheese wedge in Plymouth, Wisconsin, […]

Federal authorities have already secured convictions in a sweeping fraud investigation centered in Minnesota, with additional cases expected, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Monday.

In a message posted on X, Bondi said investigators have been building the case for months and credited outside reporting for highlighting the scope of the alleged misconduct. “@NickShirleyyy’s work has helped show Americans the scale of fraud in Tim Walz’s Minnesota,” she wrote. “@TheJusticeDept has been investigating this for months. So far, we have charged 98 individuals — 85 of Somali descent — and more than 60 have been found guilty in court.”

Bondi signaled that the prosecutions are far from over, adding, “We have more prosecutions coming…BUCKLE UP, LAWMAKERS!”

Her remarks followed the release of videos by citizen journalist Nick Shirley documenting visits to several Minnesota daycare facilities that were reportedly receiving millions of dollars in federal funding despite appearing to have no children on site.

According to Breitbart News, one such location Shirley filmed in South Minneapolis stood out for an error on its signage. Shirley visited the “Quality Learning Center,” noting that the word “learning” was misspelled as “learing.”

Video from the visit shows tension as Shirley approached the building. An unidentified woman could be heard shouting, “Don’t open up,” while incorrectly asserting that Shirley and his companion were agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At one point in the footage, Shirley remarked, “There’s no one here.”

Bondi’s post stated that 85 Somalian nationals are among those charged in connection with the alleged fraud schemes operating in the state under Gov. Tim Walz.

The investigation has also drawn attention from federal law enforcement leadership. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel previously said the bureau was already acting on the issue. He noted the FBI is “aware of recent social media reports in Minnesota,” and added that “even before the public conversation escalated online, the FBI had surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota to dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.”

{Matzav.com}

An emergency session of the United Nations Security Council on Monday focused on Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland, a move that has drawn international criticism and prompted sharp exchanges at the UN.

Israel’s envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, argued ahead of the meeting that the issue had been wrongly elevated. “This is not a question of international security but of double standards. When countries in the UN unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, the issue is accepted without discussion and without objection. When Israel exercises its sovereign powers and acts in accordance with international law, the Security Council convenes for an urgent session. This illustrates the one-sidedness and hypocrisy of some of the council members.”

Speaking during the session, US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Tammy Bruce forcefully backed Israel’s position. “Israel has the same right to conduct diplomatic relations as any other sovereign state,” she said, according to AFP.

Bruce contrasted the current reaction with earlier decisions by other countries, telling the Council, “Earlier this year, several countries, including members of this Council, made the unilateral decision to recognize a nonexistent Palestinian state. And yet, no emergency meeting was called to express this Council’s outrage.”

She went on to fault what she described as a misplaced focus by the body, stating, “This Council’s persistent double standards and misdirection of focus distract from its mission of maintaining international peace and security.”

Addressing Washington’s own policy, Bruce emphasized that the United States has not altered its stance on the matter. “On the matter of Somaliland, we have no announcement to make regarding US recognition of Somaliland. And there has been no change in American policy.”

The debate followed Israel’s announcement on Friday that it had formally recognized the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. That decision was condemned by the European Union and by a bloc of Arab and Islamic countries, along with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

{Matzav.com}

South Korea said it will formally end its dwindling yet much-criticized bear bile farming industry this week, though about 200 bears are still kept in pens and raised for their gallbladders. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced Tuesday it will ban breeding and possession of bears and extraction of their bile beginning Jan. 1. The […]

A controversial spring semester course at Princeton University has ignited criticism for asserting a “central focus on the ongoing genocide in Gaza” and proposing comparisons between the experience of Gazans and that of Jews during the Holocaust.

The course has already been denounced by American Jewish Congress, which labeled it “unacceptable” and warned, “At a time of record levels of antisemitism, this course risks fueling further hostility and making campus even more unsafe for Jewish students.”

Enrollment figures published on Princeton’s website show minimal interest so far, with just one of 14 available seats filled. The syllabus references terms such as “reproductive genocide in Gaza” and “reprocide in Gaza,” and indicates that students will study “Gaza within comparative histories of the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust and genocide against black and indigenous populations.”

Concerns over antisemitism at Princeton predate the introduction of the class. In April 2024, during the Biden Administration, the US Department of Education launched a Title VI investigation into allegations at the university following a complaint by a Jewish activist. That filing cited reports that campus pro-Palestinian protesters chanted “Intifada,” and “Brick by brick, wall by wall, apartheid has got to fall,” in the weeks after the October 7 massacre.

More recently, the Trump administration paused $210 million in federal funding to Princeton, asserting that the university “has perpetuated racist and antisemitic policies.”

Reacting to the course description, Rep. Tom Kean told JNS that it was “deeply troubling,” arguing that it “falsely characterizes Israel’s right to self-defense as ‘genocide.’”

“Israel was the victim of a brutal terrorist attack on Oct. 7 at the hands of Hamas, and any honest discussion must begin with that fact,” the New Jersey congressman said. “Hamas is a terrorist organization that deliberately targets civilians and hides behind innocent people to advance its violent agenda. While I support freedom of speech and the offering of different perspectives in the classroom, words matter.”

He continued by warning that “recklessly misusing the term ‘genocide’ does nothing to advance peace, justice, understanding or open dialogue. Israel has both the right and the obligation to defend its people, and that reality should not be erased or rewritten in the classroom.”

In response to the broader scrutiny, Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber said the university is “committed to fighting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and we will cooperate with the government in combating antisemitism.”

{Matzav.com}

A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader issued a defiant warning Tuesday after President Donald Trump said he would greenlight an Israeli strike on Iran if Tehran moves to rebuild its nuclear or missile programs. Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Ali Khamenei, responded on social media hours after Trump’s remarks, declaring that Iran’s military […]

After more than 30 years in circulation, the MetroCard is approaching the end of its run, joining the subway token as a relic of New York transit history. The familiar gold card, once a symbol of modernization, is being phased out as the city completes its move to a contactless fare system.

Beginning Wednesday, riders will no longer be able to purchase or add value to a MetroCard. The transition clears the way for OMNY, the tap-to-pay system that allows fares to be paid with a credit card, phone, or other smart device. According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, more than 90 percent of subway and bus trips are already paid through the system, which debuted in 2019.

Cities across the globe adopted similar technology years ago. London and Singapore have relied on contactless transit payments for some time, while U.S. cities including Chicago and San Francisco have followed suit, with San Francisco launching its system earlier this year.

Even as it fades from daily use, the MetroCard is being reexamined as a cultural artifact. At the New York Transit Museum, an exhibit opened this month chronicling the card’s impact. Museum curator Jodi Shapiro says the MetroCard fundamentally changed how New Yorkers thought about getting around the city.

“There was a resistance to change from tokens to something else because tokens work,” Shapiro said during a recent visit to the museum, located in a former subway station. “MetroCards introduced a whole other level of thinking for New Yorkers.”

Before the MetroCard arrived in 1994, riders paid with brass tokens first issued in 1953, or, earlier still, with paper tickets that cost just five cents when the subway opened in 1904. To ease the transition, transit officials launched public campaigns demonstrating the proper swipe technique and even briefly considered a mascot known as the Cardvaark before abandoning the idea.

Over time, the card became a canvas for the city itself. Special editions marked major moments, including the 2000 World Series “Subway Series” between the Mets and Yankees, when a ride cost $1.50. Musicians such as David Bowie and Olivia Rodrigo, hip-hop legends like the Wu-Tang Clan, the Notorious B.I.G., and LL Cool J, and television staples including Seinfeld and Law & Order all appeared on commemorative cards.

Collectors took notice. Lev Radin of the Bronx said the most meaningful designs captured the spirit of the city rather than just its skyline.

“For me, the most special cards are cards which present New York City to the world,” Radin said. “Not only photos of landmarks, skylines, but also about people who live and make New York special.”

Mastering the MetroCard swipe even became a quiet badge of authenticity. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton struggled through several attempts at a Bronx turnstile. Her Democratic rival at the time, Bernie Sanders, a Brooklyn native, appeared unaware that tokens had already been retired.

Unlike the MetroCard’s debut, the OMNY rollout has been relatively seamless. Riders who prefer not to use personal devices can still buy reloadable OMNY cards, and existing MetroCards will remain valid through 2026 so balances can be used up. The MTA says the shift saves at least $20 million a year in costs tied to the old system.

The new platform also introduces fare capping, allowing unlimited rides within a seven-day period once 12 trips are taken. When fares rise to $3 in January, weekly spending will be capped at $35. Still, some critics have voiced concerns about data collection and surveillance tied to digital payments.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s President Yitzchak Herzog denied a claim by U.S. President Donald Trump that a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “on its way,” pushing back against suggestions of behind-the-scenes coordination between the two leaders. Trump made the assertion publicly, saying Herzog had recently told him that a pardon for Netanyahu was forthcoming. Within hours, […]

Outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Monday that he remains undecided about attending the swearing-in of his successor, Zohran Mamdani, suggesting that the mayor-elect’s base of supporters is giving him pause. Speaking to reporters at an unrelated City Hall event, Adams said he does not want to distract from Mamdani’s inauguration on Jan. […]

A wild winter storm was expected to bring strong winds, heavy snow and frigid temperatures to the Great Lakes and Northeast on Tuesday, a day after a bomb cyclone barreled across the northern U.S. and left tens of thousands of customers without power. The storm that hit parts of the Plains and Great Lakes on […]

Opposition leader Yair Lapid and Yesh Atid MKs filed an urgent petition to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, seeking to block the transfer of NIS 1.09 billion to Chareidi educational institutions. The petition claims that the allocation, approved by the Knesset Finance Committee, is illegal because it funds schools that “do not prepare Chareidi children […]