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[Video below.] Late-night host Stephen Colbert devoted a segment of his show to criticizing immigration enforcement agencies and the Trump administration following the killing of Alex Pretti, weighing in on what he described as a disturbing pattern of deadly encounters involving federal agents.

Opening his monologue on the January 26 episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Colbert referenced the recent shootings involving immigration authorities, telling viewers, “On Saturday, only 17 days after Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent, another American citizen was shot and killed by Customs and Border Protection agents.”

Colbert went on to fault the administration for what he characterized as an effort to “immediately blame the victim.” He noted that video footage of the confrontation between Pretti and ICE agents showed that Pretti was not pointing a weapon at officers, although he was legally carrying a concealed firearm with a permit.

Addressing the graphic nature of the footage, Colbert said he deliberately chose not to air it on his program. “I’m not going to play you that video. You’ve all seen it. And if you haven’t seen it, it’s because you didn’t want to, and I don’t blame you,” he told the studio audience.

Viewers also reacted strongly to Colbert’s language during the segment, particularly when he addressed comparisons between ICE and the Gestapo. “Do not compare ICE or Border Patrol agents to the Nazis,” said Stephen before a twist. That’s an unfair comparison. The Nazis were willing to show their faces.”

The remark drew intense responses online. “‘The Nazi’s were willing to show their faces’ was a chilling sentence to hear,” one fan wrote in the YouTube comments.

Commenters flooded social media with emotional reactions, with many expressing outrage toward the government and describing Pretti’s death as a “murder.” One viewer wrote, “I’m not even American, and I’m crying watching this from afar – tears of anger and tears of sadness. It’s an absolute tragedy and an absolute outrage.”

Colbert also read a full statement from Pretti’s family on air, a move that viewers praised. “I really appreciate how his parents’ statement is being read in full, not only by Stephen but also by news channels,” one commenter said.

Many online commenters described Pretti as an “American hero” and a “true patriot,” language echoed by his family. “I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman,” they said. “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting.”

Additional reactions poured in across platforms, including one post that read, “Alex Pretti believed in America, in free speech, and in coming to the non-violent aid of women being brutalised by ICE. The govt. is a liar.” Another commenter wrote, “It says everything about Alex Pretti and his wonderful nature, when faced with such violence and brutality, that he didn’t pull his gun and start shooting. That he didn’t choose violence. I hope his and Renee’s deaths are not in vain and that ICE faces the consequences of their actions!”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

In what askanim are calling an unprecedented event, tens of thousands of talmidim of Yeshivas Mir are set to unite for the first time ever in a single gathering, marking a historic moment for the world’s largest yeshiva.

The Adirei HaTorah-styled event, titled “Malki Rabbanan,” will take place on Rosh Chodesh Adar at the Pais Arena in Yerushalayim in the presence of Gedolei Yisroel and the yeshiva’s roshei yeshiva.

Yeshivas Mir, with thousands of talmidim learning across numerous batei midrash, has never before brought its entire student body together under one roof. Organizers say the upcoming asifa will serve as a powerful public demonstration of kavod haTorah and appreciation for those who dedicate their lives to Torah study.

The massive gathering, expected to fill the Yerushalayim arena to capacity, represents both a logistical and historical breakthrough. Since the yeshiva’s founding — and even as it expanded into its current vast network of botei medrash centered in Yerushalayim’s Beis Yisroel neighborhood — there had never been an opportunity for all of its talmidim, from every beis medrash and chaburah, to assemble at a single event.

Yeshiva personnel stressed that the asifa is intended to be far more than a technical convening. “Mir is not just a yeshiva, and not just a kollel. It is an engine of Torah for the entire world,” members of the hanhalah said. “The goal is to honor those who toil in Torah, and to declare loudly: upon you the world stands.”

The dais of honor will be graced by leading gedolim, alongside hundreds of rabbonim from the Mir’s many batei midrash, led by the roshei yeshiva.

In addition to the drashos, a carefully curated musical and artistic program has been planned, tailored to the elevated nature of the event. Musical direction will be led by arranger and conductor Moishy Roth, who will oversee performances by singers including Yisroel Adler, Boruch Levine, Zanvil Weinberger, and Bentzi Stein.

To accommodate the thousands of participants, a special transportation network will operate, ferrying talmidim directly from Mir’s various botei medrash to the arena.

{Matzav.com}

As a continuation of President Donald Trump’s pitch to Americans on affordability and the economy under his administration, the U.S. Treasury and White House are celebrating the upcoming launch of a program they view as a key milestone: Trump Accounts. A provision of Trump’s tax legislation, Trump Accounts are meant to give $1,000 to every newborn, so long […]

Israel’s Chief Rabbi and Rishon LeTzion, Rav Dovid Yosef, delivered an emotional and deeply moving hesped on Wednesday at the funeral of Master Sergeant Ran (Rani) Gvili HY”D, whose body was finally brought to burial after being recovered from Gaza following two years of agonizing uncertainty.

Thousands attended the levayah in the southern community of Meitar, where Rav Yosef spoke words of grief, faith, and national reflection, drawing a powerful historical parallel between the present tragedy and the destruction of Beitar during the Bar Kochba revolt nearly two millennia ago.

In his remarks, the Rishon LeTzion recalled the horrors inflicted by the Romans after the fall of Beitar, emphasizing the cruelty of denying burial to Jewish victims and the profound meaning of Ran Gvili finally being laid to rest in a Jewish grave.

“The Gemara tells us that during the Bar Kochba revolt, Beitar was destroyed and the Romans carried out a horrific massacre of the Jews,” Rav Yosef said. “Tens of thousands were slaughtered and murdered. But the Romans were not satisfied with the massacre itself — they wanted to break the spirit of the Jewish people, and they did not allow the bodies to be buried. They used the bodies of Jews to build fences for their vineyards, erecting a barrier eighteen kilometers by eighteen kilometers, as tall as a person. From this we understand the magnitude of the catastrophe and the unimaginable number of those killed in the destruction of Beitar. These events occurred about fifty years after the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, some 1,900 years ago. Only much later did the Romans allow the bodies to be buried. Our sages instituted a special blessing in response — the blessing of HaTov VeHaMeitiv. To this day, we recite it in Birkas Hamazon. ‘HaTov’ — that they were given burial, and ‘HaMeitiv’ — that the bodies had not decomposed. They remained whole.”

Rav Yosef then drew a direct and haunting connection to the present day.

“1,900 years have passed, and history is repeating itself,” he said. “The entire Jewish people has been fighting to bring our fallen soldiers to a Jewish burial, and here too, the miracle has returned. Ran Gvili comes back whole — whole in body. Wonder of wonders. The G-d of Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, loves us. The nations of the world — not so much. Sadly, we are dealing with antisemitism. We are a people that rose up and simply wants to survive, wants to live — and the world accuses us. When we seek to defend ourselves, the verse says, ‘The Jews gathered and stood up for their lives,’ yet the world directs its arrows specifically at us. Unfortunately, there is no logical solution to antisemitism. We must fight it, but we must also understand — they hate us because we are Jews. And we must be proud that we are Jews. We are the chosen people of the Holy One, blessed be He. ‘Behold, a nation that dwells alone.’ Yes, we still dwell alone — but we are Jews, and we must take pride in the fact that we merited to be the people of Hashem. As the verse says, ‘All the peoples of the earth will see that the Name of Hashem is called upon you, and they will fear you.’ In the end, the Jewish people live forever. Nothing will help them — we are here because this land is ours, the land of our forefathers, given to us by the Holy One, blessed be He, and we will be here forever, with G-d’s help.”

Toward the end of his address, Rav Yosef turned to the social fabric of Israeli society and issued a heartfelt call for unity, particularly around bereaved and wounded families. He spoke with admiration of the strength shown by the Gvili family and the way their struggle united the nation.

“Rabbosai, it is no secret that we are living through an extremely difficult period, a time of deep internal division,” he said. “Everything we have gone through in recent years reflects a great crisis. But we must also look at the half-full cup. There is no other nation like ours — when one person is hurt or when a soldier falls, the entire people grieves and mourns. When there was a terror attack in faraway Australia, on the first night of Chanukah, I went to the Kosel to light the menorah, and it felt like Tisha B’Av — all of us in deep pain. Ultimately, we are one people. Everything we have experienced proves that we are still one nation, that we love one another. We have a great mission around which we can unite.”

He continued, “We have seen the heroism of the Gvili family. I met the dear parents. They shook the world. The entire world stood astonished, watching how a whole nation fought for what? To return a fallen soldier. To bring a fallen son home. We have much to be proud of — and we also have thousands of broken-hearted families. ‘What shall I testify to you, to what shall I liken you? For your breach is great as the sea,’ says the prophet. We have thousands of bereaved parents, siblings, orphans, and widows. We have a great responsibility to encourage, to strengthen. We have many wounded. Each and every one of us must unite around them. This is how we are one people. We hurt, and when we show them that we hurt with them, we strengthen them — and we strengthen ourselves as well.”

Addressing the family directly, Rav Yosef concluded, “Dear Gvili family, may Hashem comfort you among the mourners of Tzion and Yerushalayim. The entire Jewish people stands with you. On this day, you merited to unite all of Am Yisrael around you. May you be comforted from Heaven. Amen, may it be His will.”

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia held an event on Monday to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in what appears to be one of the first public commemorations of the Holocaust hosted in the Gulf kingdom. The embassy shared images from the event on social media showing several Orthodox Jewish participants in attendance. In a […]

A powerful “bomb cyclone” winter storm is taking shape over the Atlantic and is on track to slam into the New York City metro area this weekend, threatening fresh snowfall, punishing winds and dangerous wind chills for a region still digging out from last weekend’s historic storm. Forecasters say the rapidly intensifying system is expected […]

The FBI on Wednesday searched the election office of a Georgia county that has been central to right-wing conspiracy theories over President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, acting just one week after the Republican leader predicted prosecutions over a contest he has baselessly insisted was tainted by widespread fraud. The search at Fulton County’s main election facility […]

A group of U.S.-based anti-Israel activist organizations announced a nationwide “week of solidarity” campaign for two men still imprisoned for their roles in financing Hamas. The campaign centers on Shukri Abu Baker and Ghassan Elashi, two former leaders of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, a Texas-based organization whose senior officials were convicted […]

Instacart has started adding a new surcharge to grocery orders placed by New York City customers, introducing what it calls a “regulatory response fee” shortly after new delivery worker regulations went into force this week, according to The New York Post.

The new charge appears directly in customers’ order summaries, with Instacart’s website now stating, “NYC regulatory response fees appear in the order summary.” The company explains that the fee “helps cover increased operating costs in NYC due to government regulations on delivery platforms,” language that was not present on the site as recently as last month.

An analysis by The Post found that no such fee appeared on Instacart orders before Monday. By Tuesday, however, customers placing orders between $35 and $184 were seeing an added charge of $5.99.

Instacart confirmed that the fee went into effect Monday and pointed the finger at city lawmakers. In a statement to The Post, the company blamed “the City Council’s misguided and burdensome grocery delivery laws.”

“For months, we raised clear, data-backed concerns that the policy would increase grocery delivery costs for New Yorkers, but those warnings were repeatedly ignored,” the statement said.

A spokesperson for the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection said the agency is looking into the matter.

The added fee comes as Instacart is already facing scrutiny following a report last month that accused the company of using an opaque algorithm that allegedly charged different customers different prices for the same items without disclosure.

The new city rules, which took effect Monday, significantly expand protections for grocery delivery workers, including higher minimum pay for drivers working on platforms such as Instacart. Under the law, drivers must earn at least $21.44 per hour before tips, with scheduled increases in future years.

The legislation also requires food delivery apps, including Uber Eats and DoorDash, to present customers with a tipping option before checkout, setting the default gratuity at no less than 10% of the order total.

Earlier this month, the Mamdani administration accused Uber Eats and DoorDash of costing delivery workers more than $550 million in tips by previously requiring customers to add gratuities only after completing checkout.

City officials argued the new approach was necessary to safeguard workers’ earnings, particularly after tips reportedly dropped following the introduction of a new minimum-wage rule in late 2023.

Uber Eats and DoorDash sought to block the law in federal court, claiming the city violated their free speech rights by forcing them to “speak a government-mandated message in a prescribed manner and at a prescribed time.”

The companies also contended that the higher minimum pay requirements have driven up delivery costs in New York City and warned that the new regulations — along with “tipping fatigue” and “generally rising prices” — would negatively affect their profits.

U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels rejected that challenge in a decision issued Friday. Shortly thereafter, Instacart’s new regulatory fee began appearing on customer orders.

{Matzav.com}

SNOW IN TAMPA BAY FLORIDA?? There is a 10% to 20% of snow flurries along the coast of Tampa Bay, Florida, late Saturday night and into Sunday morning. The snow, if it falls, is not expected to stick. The last time it snowed in Tampa Bay, Florida, was on January 19, 1977!

When the Supreme Court granted an unusually quick hearing over President Donald Trump’s tariffs, a similarly rapid resolution seemed possible. After all, Trump’s lawyers told the court that speed was of the essence on an issue central to the Republican president’s economic agenda. They pointed to a statement from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warning that […]

Senior U.S. officials are openly acknowledging that Washington has no clear picture of who would assume power in Iran if the current regime were to collapse, even as American military forces continue to surge toward the region. Speaking at a Senate hearing, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the question of succession after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remains unanswered, according to a report by Axios correspondent Barak Ravid.

“Nobody can give an answer as to what will happen the day after if the Iranian regime falls,” Rubio told lawmakers. He also emphasized the risks facing U.S. personnel in the region, noting that between 30,000 and 40,000 American troops stationed in the Middle East could be targeted by Iranian missiles or drones in the event of retaliation following a U.S. strike.

Rubio stressed that military readiness remains a core element of the administration’s posture, explaining that “The President always keeps for himself the option of launching a defensive preemptive strike.” He added, “That’s why it is wise to have forces in the region that can respond and, if necessary, carry out a preemptive strike to protect American troops and our allies. I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

President Donald Trump echoed that message on Wednesday, issuing a public warning that a significant U.S. naval force is on its way toward Iran while urging the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to enter talks without delay and agree to what he described as a fair agreement.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said, “A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela.”

He continued with another warning, stating, “Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!”

Trump followed up with an additional post, repeating his earlier threats toward Tehran: “As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The president reinforced that warning last Thursday during an in-flight briefing with reporters as he traveled back to Washington from Davos, describing what he said was a substantial American military buildup near Iran. “We have a lot of ships going in that direction, just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction. And we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”

During the same exchange, Trump claimed he personally intervened to stop mass executions in Iran the previous week. “I stopped 837 hangings [last] Thursday. They would have been dead. Every one of them would have been hung…I said ‘if you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit. It’ll make what we did to your Iran nuclear look like peanuts.’ And an hour before this horrible thing was going to take place, they canceled it. And they actually said they canceled it. They didn’t postpone it. They canceled it. So that was a good sign.”

Iran responded with its own warnings. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei cautioned that any attack would trigger what he described as a “comprehensive and regret inducing” retaliation by the Islamic Republic.

Meanwhile, reports on Tuesday indicated that U.S. officials are considering limited strikes aimed at Iranian officials and military commanders, as reports from inside Iran put the death toll from ongoing protests at more than 36,000.

{Matzav.com}

HaRav Chaim Ber Weisberg, one of the veteran Sanzer Chassidim in Williamsburg, recites an emotional Shehecheyanu with full Shem U’Malchus in honor of the visit of his Rebbe, the Sanzer Rebbe.

First Lady Melania Trump on President Trump: “I always thought that one day he might go and run, and I always told him, ‘If you do it, you will win,’ because I knew how much people loved him.”

JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America announced on Wednesday that they will each match a one-time $1,000 federal deposit into children’s retirement-style savings accounts for qualifying employees, making them the latest large corporations to sign on to the initiative.

The accounts, widely referred to as Trump accounts, are part of a pilot program in which the U.S. Treasury places $1,000 into tax-advantaged investment accounts for eligible children born in the United States between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028.

The initiative, which was developed in part by hedge fund manager Brad Gerstner, is designed to promote early saving and investing as a way to reduce long-term wealth disparities in the United States. The program has drawn support from a range of high-profile backers, including Michael and Susan Dell, Ray Dalio, and rapper Nicki Minaj.

“JPMorgan Chase has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the financial health and well-being of all of our employees and their families around the world, including more than 190,000 here in the United States,” CEO Jamie Dimon said in a release. “By matching this contribution, we’re making it easier for them to start saving early, invest wisely, and plan for their family’s financial future.”

Bank of America conveyed its position in an internal memo circulated to employees on Wednesday and first reported by Reuters, praising what it described as the government’s “innovative solutions” aimed at strengthening employee savings.

Financial institutions now make up the bulk of companies pledging to match the government’s contribution. In addition to JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, other major players including BlackRock, BNY, Robinhood, SoFi, and Charles Schwab have also committed to providing matching funds for the new accounts.

{Matzav.com}

Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar tells Putin: “We see a lot of antisemitism around the world,” but “we cannot feel anything of this kind in Russia.” Rabbi Lazar says he is “very grateful” to Putin, praising Russia as a country where various religions live in peace. Putin: “Every ethnic and religious group knows that working […]

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited Moscow on Wednesday for the second time in less than four months, and Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized his readiness to help the country rebuild its war-battered economy. “I know that there is a lot that’s necessary to restore in Syria, and our economic operators, including the construction sector, […]

[Video below.] Newly released video footage appears to document a volatile encounter between Alex Pretti and federal immigration agents more than a week before he was shot and killed in Minneapolis, showing behavior that authorities are now reviewing as part of their broader assessment of events leading up to his death.

The footage, which the BBC said it has verified, reportedly shows the ICU nurse yelling at federal agents as they drove away from a Jan. 13 protest, spitting in their direction and then kicking the rear of a black SUV. According to The News Movement, the video captures Pretti smashing the vehicle’s taillights, prompting officers to stop, exit the car, and subdue him.

In the recording, the man—wearing clothing similar to what Pretti was seen wearing on the day he was fatally shot last Saturday—can be seen being forced to the ground by at least five agents. As the confrontation escalated, tear gas was released into the surrounding crowd, which included protesters blowing whistles amid the chaos.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations is “reviewing” the newly surfaced video, telling The Post that agents are examining the footage as part of their ongoing evaluation of Pretti’s prior interactions with federal authorities.

According to a CNN report published Tuesday, Pretti, 37, was already familiar to federal officials and had sustained a broken rib during a separate violent encounter with agents roughly a week before his death. The report said immigration officers had been tracking and documenting information about Pretti as well as other anti-ICE protesters involved in recent demonstrations in Minneapolis.

Investigators with DHS believe the fatal shooting may have been triggered by a stray discharge from Pretti’s own firearm after it was taken from him. Authorities say Pretti had a loaded pistol tucked into his belt when he inserted himself between another protester and ICE officers. Border Patrol agents tackled him, removed the weapon, and during the ensuing struggle, two agents opened fire, killing him.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Security and police were dispatched on Wednesday to the Union of Cities for Environmental Protection venue in Chadeira after an object described as a piece of coal was hurled toward Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman during a public session focused on air pollution.

Reports by Walla said the incident took place as Silman arrived at the hall for a hearing connected to the Israel Electric Corporation. Officers who were called to the location detained a young woman, estimated to be about 18 years old, and brought her in for questioning regarding the incident.

Witnesses at the event said the object appeared to strike the minister, though she was not injured and did not need medical attention. Silman chose to remain at the venue and continued taking part in the conference until it concluded, despite the disruption.

Police later issued a statement explaining their response: “Upon receiving the report, officers from the Hadera station arrived at the scene, managed to locate the suspect, and despite no formal complaint being filed, the suspect was detained for questioning. Depending on the investigation’s needs and findings, the continuation of her detention will be examined.”

{Matzav.com}