Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu made it clear he has no intention of stepping away from public life in return for leniency in his corruption case, dismissing any notion that he would bargain his political future for a pardon.
During a joint appearance with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a reporter raised the question of whether he would consider leaving politics as part of a plea arrangement. Netanyahu answered with trademark humor. “They’re very concerned with my future. They want to make sure that — how shall I say this? — They’re concerned with my future,” he jokes, prompting laughter at the press event.
Netanyahu said the real arbiters of his future were not prosecutors or political analysts, but the Israeli public. “Well, so are the voters, and they’ll decide, obviously,” he says, before shifting the focus to Israel’s growing partnership with Germany. He noted that both countries were engaged in far-reaching initiatives that would exceed even the high level of collaboration forged in previous years. “We have big tasks to do, including with Germany in historic cooperation that will actually, actually will, in many ways, tower over our previous cooperation, which was quite amazing,” he says.
Gesturing toward Merz, Netanyahu added a playful nod to the chancellor’s height. The continuing strength of Israeli-German relations, he suggested, was only fitting given the stature of his counterpart: “But that’s not surprising, because, as you can see, Chancellor Merz is a towering figure,” he says.
{Matzav.com}
New York’s political and health leadership unleashed an intense backlash on Friday after a federal advisory panel voted to strip away the long-standing recommendation that every newborn in the United States receive the hepatitis B vaccine immediately after birth. What had been a universal guideline for decades was recast by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) as a selective recommendation, applying only to babies whose mothers test positive for the virus or have not been screened.
The shift—an 8–3 vote—was met with alarm from public health officials nationwide, many of whom emphasized that the routine birth dose has been widely credited with preventing thousands of hepatitis B infections over the years. Under the new guidance, newborns of mothers who test negative would start the vaccine series at two months unless parents and clinicians decide otherwise.
New York leaders quickly became some of the loudest voices condemning the move. Gov. Kathy Hochul, outraged by the committee’s decision and the administration overseeing it, accused national policymakers of endangering vulnerable children. “As a mom who spent countless doctor’s office visits making sure my kids were vaccinated to protect them from deadly diseases, it’s devastating to see the Trump administration willing to let babies and children die,” she said. She added, “I guess nothing should surprise us anymore,” continuing her critiques of the administration’s broader health policies.
City officials echoed the alarm. Dr. Michelle Morse, New York City’s acting health commissioner, publicly rejected the credibility of the advisory group itself. “The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which guides our nation’s vaccine policy, is no longer a trusted source,” she said, arguing that the panel’s pivot disregards decades of established research. “The decision to ignore nearly thirty years of successful clinical evidence is harmful. We are witnessing the creation of confusion at the expense of our nation’s health, with significant risk toward our babies.”
In response to the uproar, the New York State Department of Health emphasized that the federal vote would not affect state policy. “These national advisory votes do not alter New York’s evidence-based recommendations, which continue to include a hepatitis B vaccine birth dose for every newborn, without delay, as well as completion of the full vaccine series in infancy,” the department announced. The NYC Health Department likewise affirmed its position, with Morse reiterating that her office “continues to strongly recommend the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns to protect the health of our youngest New Yorkers.”
The controversy also drew attention to the makeup of the advisory committee itself, as all current ACIP members were appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is widely known for his anti-vaccine advocacy. The intersection of policy, politics, and public health has now set off a nationwide debate over how vaccine recommendations should be crafted—and who should be shaping them.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump pressed the Baseball Hall of Fame selection committee to reverse years of rejection and finally induct pitcher Roger Clemens, issuing an extended appeal on Truth Social that celebrated Clemens’s legacy while sharply criticizing the forces he believes kept the star out of Cooperstown.
In his message, Trump urged the voters to act decisively as they meet to consider new inductees. “The Baseball Hall of Fame Committee is voting on admitting new Members TOMORROW, and these highly respected owners, executives, writers, and, most importantly, Hall of Famers, should do the right thing by finally putting Roger Clemens, known as ‘The Rocket,’ in the Hall!” he wrote, calling on the panel to correct what he views as years of unfair treatment.
Trump went on to highlight Clemens’s extraordinary career, laying out the statistical record he believes leaves no doubt about the pitcher’s place in baseball history: “Roger is clearly one of the Greatest Pitchers of All Time, with amazing achievements that include winning 354 Games, seven Cy Young Awards (A Record, by a lot!), and playing in six World Series, winning two. ‘The Rocket’ is second only to another All Time GREAT, Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, in most strike-outs,” he wrote.
He then turned his ire toward the Justice Department under President Barack Obama, claiming its failed attempt to prosecute Clemens on perjury allegations over suspected steroid use derailed his Hall of Fame chances. Clemens, who consistently denied wrongdoing, was acquitted of all charges in 2012.
The message continued with Trump insisting that the lack of induction is indefensible. “Roger Clemens is the only pitcher who has won 300 games to not have the honor of being enshrined in the Hall of Fame, which is a total travesty! The only reason he is not is because of rumors and innuendo, which were not proven. He never tested positive and, when the Obama DOJ went after him in a criminal case claiming that he did take steroids, Roger, who has always denied taking any drugs, was FULLY ACQUITTED OF ALL CHARGES. ‘The Rocket,’ a nickname he earned very early in his career because of his blazing fastball, was just as dominant before those erroneous allegations were leveled against him. I sincerely hope that the Committee uses its great judgment (Roger’s opponents never proved a thing against him, and he may have the best pitching record, all told, in the History of Baseball!), and the Baseball Commissioner has the Strength, Wisdom, and Power to do the right thing, and put Roger Clemens in The Baseball Hall of Fame, IMMEDIATELY! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT”
Trump has long been vocal about Clemens’s omission from Cooperstown and has previously encouraged the legendary pitcher to pursue legal action against Major League Baseball over the continued snub.
{Matzav.com}
