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In a wide-ranging appearance on “The Shawn Ryan Show” released Monday, Hunter Biden offered unusually blunt criticism of two of the most controversial episodes of his father’s presidency, faulting both the handling of immigration at the southern border and the execution of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Discussing immigration, Hunter Biden said the approach taken during the Biden administration unraveled badly, calling the situation at the border “a disaster.” While stressing support for robust, lawful immigration, he argued that the country “doesn’t want immigrants that are coming here illegally, draining us of resources” and being “prioritized above” veterans and other Americans who are struggling.

The exchange came as host Shawn Ryan pressed him on frustrations voiced by many Americans, particularly the contrast between strained services for veterans and taxpayer-funded assistance for illegal immigrants in major U.S. cities. Hunter Biden rejected the idea that simply cutting migrant benefits would fix problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, saying his father “cared” deeply about veterans and citing the PACT Act as evidence of that commitment.

Even so, his remarks echoed a long-standing Republican critique that the administration surrendered operational control of the border and declined to fully enforce existing laws until political pressure intensified. Government data has underscored the magnitude of the surge. The Congressional Budget Office estimated net immigration of roughly 2.4 million people per year in both 2023 and 2024 under an “other foreign nationals” category, with levels expected to decline closer to historical norms afterward.

Hunter Biden also revisited a familiar Democratic argument over a stalled bipartisan border proposal, saying a sweeping bill crafted by Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and Chris Murphy of Connecticut had Republican backing until Donald Trump intervened ahead of the 2024 election. Republicans, however, have maintained that the necessary enforcement tools were already in place and that then-President Joe Biden opted not to deploy them, while Trump emphasized deterrence, removals, and curbing asylum abuse through campaigns and executive actions.

Turning to Afghanistan, Hunter Biden said that ending the two-decade war was justified, describing the decision to leave as “the right thing to do.” At the same time, he acknowledged that the manner in which the withdrawal unfolded was “an obvious” failure.

He pointed to the ISIS-K suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport during the evacuation, which killed 13 U.S. service members and about 170 Afghan civilians, as emblematic of what went wrong. Reflecting on responsibility for the outcome, he said: “I think that there was a better way to do it, and … I can blame it on his generals, I can blame it on [other] people [for] the way in which we did it, but — and my dad always knew this also, is that the buck stops with him.”

Hunter Biden added that his father was “crushed” by the deaths of the troops. His candid comments, however, are likely to reignite scrutiny of the administration’s planning and the deadly consequences of the withdrawal, an episode Republicans have long cited as a symbol of weakened American credibility overseas.

{Matzav.com}

At least one in five members of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition operation has documented ties to radical anti-Zionist groups that openly promote terror and harass Jewish people, according to a report released Monday by the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL’s analysis found that roughly 80 of the more than 400 people appointed to Mamdani’s 17 transition […]

Israel’s High Court on Tuesday rejected Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s request to reconsider the appointment of retired judge Asher Kula, the Ombudsman for Complaints Against Judges, to lead the investigation into the leak of the Sdei Teiman video by former Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer‑Yerushalmi. In response, Levin issued a blistering attack on the Court […]

The Hostage Families Forum has released an AI-generated message featuring the voice and likeness of Ran Gvili,in a plea addressed to President Trump. The video of the final hostage still in Gaza urges the U.S. president to help secure the return of his body.

A Brinks armored truck was robbed on Chicago’s Southwest Side Tuesday morning outside a Chase Bank in the Brighton Park neighborhood. The driver was shot in both legs and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

TRUMP: Anybody that disagrees with me will never be the Fed Chairman!

Yeshiva bochur Binyamin Kreif, who was released after three and a half months in military prison for failing to report to the draft office, spoke Monday night in a wide-ranging interview about his incarceration, including two months spent in solitary confinement, the high-profile escape attempt that drew national attention, and the message he wants fellow yeshiva students to hear: “Prison is a summer camp. Don’t be afraid.”

Kreif spoke with broadcaster Yankele Friedman, who opened the conversation by describing the emotional scenes surrounding Kreif’s release, including a celebratory reception in Modi’in Illit and what he termed a “royal welcome,” complete with a limousine. Friedman said Kreif had been jailed solely because he is a yeshiva student devoted to Torah study, adding that tefillos for his release had come from across the country. “I saw videos today of thousands celebrating together with him. He was welcomed like a king,” Friedman said.

Kreif thanked Friedman for his steady support throughout his imprisonment, calling him a “holy person” whose encouragement helped him endure months behind bars.

During the interview, Kreif described in stark detail the conditions he faced, most notably two months in solitary confinement, in a cell measuring roughly two and a half meters. “I was in solitary for two months—just a cell and a guard watching you all the time,” he said. According to Kreif, security was intentionally stringent, with guards rotating every four hours to prevent any rapport. He said the harsh treatment stemmed from the widely documented escape incident that followed his arrest. “The guards told me, ‘You shamed the IDF,’” Kreif recalled. “I answered them, ‘Fortunate are we.’”

Despite the isolation and physical strain, Kreif said he and other inmates found ways to lift their spirits and even inject humor into daily life. He described harmless antics meant to unsettle guards without being caught, such as ducking into camera-free restrooms and making animal noises. “We turned the place into a summer camp,” he said with a smile. “We’d shout, ‘Zoo—fall in!’ and keep them on edge all night.” Friedman wondered whether such behavior prolonged Kreif’s time in solitary, but Kreif insisted the goal was to retain dignity and feel like “a prince” even in prison.

One of the interview’s most striking moments involved Kreif’s encounter with an atheist inmate who was transferred into his cell just days before his release. Kreif said that over the course of four days, he shared parables and spoke about faith, sparking a profound change. “On the day I was released, he told me, ‘Binyamin, can you leave me your peyos so I can look chareidi too?’” Kreif recounted. Friedman responded that even behind bars, Kreif had merited “bringing a lost brother closer.” Kreif added that many secular inmates expressed deep respect for the chareidi yeshiva students housed alongside them.

As the conversation drew to a close, Kreif addressed yeshiva students anxious about the prospect of arrest. “There’s really nothing to fear about this prison. It truly is a summer camp,” he said confidently. He acknowledged that solitary confinement is difficult, but emphasized that conditions improve significantly once inmates are moved to the regular unit, where the atmosphere is far more social and supportive.

{Matzav.com}

The search is on for a man who was caught on surveillance video vandalizing a menorah in downtown Miami. The menorah was located outside of the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector’s Office.

Consumers were less confident in the economy in December as Americans grow anxious about high prices and the impact of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 3.8 points to 89.1 in December from November’s upwardly revised reading of 92.9. That is close to 85.7 reading […]

IDF veterans suffering from PTSD are currently blocking the entrance to the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem, protesting what they describe as the government’s ongoing treatment of them and delays in implementing their rights. The protest is taking place amid deep frustration over the state’s handling of wounded veterans, who say they continue to bear the […]

Greta Thunberg was arrested earlier today in London under the Terrorism Act for holding a sign which says “I support Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide.”

A heartening and widely discussed engagement was announced yesterday, Zos Chanukah 5786, involving a 25-year-old yeshiva bochur who took part last year in a well-known Chassidishe segulah for shidduchim — and is now celebrating his engagement.

The chosson, Shmuel Aharon Chazan, is among the talmidim of Yeshiva Kiryas Melech. He became engaged yesterday to a young woman from the Gutfarb family of Kiryat Sefer less than a year after traveling to Poland to participate in the traditional segulah associated with the yahrtzeit of rav Dovid of Lelov.

Each year, on 7 Shevat, dozens of unmarried men who are awaiting their zivug travel to Poland, where the Lelover Rebbe conducts a tish at the site of the yahrtzeit. As part of a long-standing custom regarded by many as a tried and tested segulah, participants dance atop a table during the tish, davening for salvation in their personal lives.

With the upcoming yahrtzeit only weeks away, another story of yeshuah has now emerged. The chosson lives in Beit Shemesh near the center of Lelover Chassidus. After hearing about the custom, he traveled last year on 7 Shevat to the tziyun of the Lelover Rebbe in Poland, took part in the dance, and yesterday — on Zos Chanukah — celebrated his engagement.

This is not the first such case. In Adar of last year, we reported on another engagement that followed the same segulah: a 29-year-old talmid of Yeshivas Oraysa who became engaged less than a month after participating in the Lelover yahrtzeit dance. He has since married, b’shaah tovah u’mutzlachas.

A striking detail in both cases is that neither chosson is a follower of Lelover Chassidus. Nonetheless, both traveled to Poland, fulfilled the segulah with complete faith, and were subsequently zocheh to see yeshuah.

{Matzav.com}

Following the collapse of Bashar Assad’s rule and the rise of Ahmad al-Sharaa, Israel quietly provided assistance to Syria’s Druze community as part of its regional security posture. The support included weapons, funding, intelligence, and logistical aid delivered through intermediaries, aimed at strengthening local Druze forces in southern Syria and limiting the influence of Islamist […]

Justice Minister Yariv Levin slammed the judiciary and police after the Israeli Supreme Court again blocked his bid to appoint an external monitor to oversee the probe into former IDF chief military prosecutor Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi. The court rejected Levin’s choice of retired Judge Asher Kula, saying legal criteria were not met. Levin accused the court […]

On Saturday, four NASA astronauts conducted a dress rehearsal for their upcoming lunar mission. Before venturing farther from Earth than any humans have before, they ran through the full launch countdown, practicing every step of the process—everything except the actual liftoff.

Additional footage from Netanya after heavy rainfall caused severe flooding across the city.

In a letter to President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a group of liberal and progressive Jewish organizations criticized the decision to bar entry to Palestinians holding Palestinian Authority–issued documents, calling it “troubling” and counterproductive to post–Gaza war planning.

For a second consecutive day, social media users in Iran have shared footage allegedly showing military activity over the country. Users claim the videos depict military aircraft and missile activity.