Feed aggregator

Mossad Director David Barnea has informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he plans to step down from his position in June, according to a Wednesday report by Channel 12. The Prime Minister’s Office later confirmed that preparations are underway to initiate the process of finding his replacement in the coming weeks.

Three figures are said to be in contention for the prestigious role. Two of them—identified only as A. and H.—are senior Mossad officials, with one currently serving as Barnea’s deputy and the other holding a top-level strategic position. The third contender is Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman, who presently serves as Netanyahu’s military secretary.

The process of choosing the next Mossad chief is expected to be extensive, involving multiple interviews and a comprehensive assessment of each candidate’s background, leadership qualities, and operational expertise. Netanyahu will personally oversee the evaluations before making his final selection.

Once a successor is chosen, an orderly handover period will follow, allowing Barnea to brief the incoming director and ensure a seamless transition of command and responsibilities within Israel’s intelligence apparatus.

From the outset of his leadership, Barnea made clear that he did not intend to extend his service beyond the standard five-year term. His tenure has been defined by significant operational milestones, including the Mossad’s “Pager Operation” against Hezbollah and a series of daring missions conducted deep inside hostile territories.

{Matzav.com}

House Democrats ignited a media storm Wednesday by selectively unveiling three emails from the massive Jeffrey Epstein archives that referenced President Trump. The excerpts included one in which Epstein wrote that “Victim 1 spent many hours at my house with him.” Yet in a glaring omission, Democrats withheld the identity of “Victim 1” — Virginia Giuffre, who before her death this year had made clear that Trump never engaged in any misconduct and was always respectful toward her.

News outlets such as CNN and The New York Times rushed to publicize the limited release, appearing to have received early access to the material.

Republicans immediately accused Democrats of staging a political setup designed to create false impressions rather than transparency.

“The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement to The NY Post.

Leavitt continued, “The ‘unnamed victim’ referenced in these emails is the late Virginia Giuffre, who repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and ‘couldn’t have been friendlier’ to her in their limited interactions. These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments, and any American with common sense sees right through this hoax and clear distraction from the government opening back up again.”

The partisan release came from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, whose ranks include Robert Garcia of California, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, and Ro Khanna of California. Republicans on the same panel countered by publishing the full cache of roughly 20,000 files, including references to Bill Clinton and journalist Michael Wolff — correspondence Democrats had chosen not to reveal.

Giuffre’s story dates back to 2000, when, as a 16-year-old working at Mar-a-Lago, she met Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who recruited her. In her memoir Nobody’s Girl, released after her death, Giuffre recalled being introduced to Trump by her father, who was a maintenance manager at Mar-a-Lago.

“Trump couldn’t have been friendlier,” she wrote, “telling me it was fantastic that I was there.” She further described how Trump even helped her earn extra money babysitting for guests staying at his Palm Beach properties — a depiction utterly at odds with the insinuations in the Democrats’ selective release.

The broader trove includes a January 31, 2019, email in which Epstein told Wolff that Trump had confronted Maxwell. “[T]rump said he asked me to resign,” Epstein wrote. “[I was] never a member ever.” He added, “[O]f course he knew about the girls as he asked [G]hislaine to stop.”

Trump has consistently said the renewed push to tie him to Epstein is a politically motivated “hoax.” Federal investigators concluded years ago that Epstein acted alone and that there was no secret “client list” implicating others — a determination that hasn’t stopped political opponents from attempting to resurrect the scandal.

Speaking in July, Trump explained how Epstein’s access to his staff led to a permanent ban from Mar-a-Lago. “Everyone knows the people that were taken, and it was the concept of, taking people that work for me is bad,” he told reporters. “But that story has been pretty well out there, and the answer is yes, they were.”

“I have a great spa, one of the best spas in the world, at Mar-a-Lago,” he added. “And people were taken out of the spa, hired by him. When I heard about it, I told him, I said, ‘Listen, we don’t want you taking our people,’ whether it was spa or not spa, I don’t want him taking people. And he was fine. And then not too long after that, he did it again. And I said, ‘Out of here.’”

Epstein’s death in 2019 ended his criminal trial but not the controversy surrounding his connections. Though he and Trump had once been friendly in the 1990s, they reportedly split over a real estate dispute years before Epstein’s downfall.

Michael Wolff also reappears in the cache, exchanging messages with Epstein ahead of a 2015 Republican debate. “I hear CNN planning to ask Trump tonight about his relationship with you–either on air or in scrum afterward,” Wolff wrote. Epstein replied, “[I]f we were able to craft an answer for him, what do you think it should be?”

“I think you should let him hang himself,” Wolff responded. “If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him in a way that potentially generates a positive benefit for you, or, if it really looks like he could win, you could save him, generating a debt. Of course, it is possible that, when asked, he’ll say Jeffrey is a great guy and has gotten a raw deal and is a victim of political correctness, which is to be outlawed in a Trump regime.”

Meanwhile, a bipartisan House petition to compel the Justice Department to release its Epstein files reached the necessary 218 signatures Wednesday. Once Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva of Arizona is sworn in, the measure can advance to the floor within seven legislative days. If approved, the bill would still require passage in the Republican-led Senate and President Trump’s signature to become law.

{Matzav.com}

AOC: “It is unconscionable that what we are debating right now is legislation that will give 8 senators over $1M a piece & we are robbing people of their food assistance and of their healthcare to pay for it. How is this even on the floor?!”

A school bus careened onto the sidewalk and slammed into a storefront on Avenue J between East 13th and East 14th Streets on Wednesday evening, narrowly a sidewalk packed with pedestrians. Flatbush Scoop reported that the driver, who was not injured, said he accidentally shifted the bus into reverse while turning onto the street and […]

Jack Schlossberg, the only grandson of President John F. Kennedy, officially launched his campaign Wednesday to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler in New York’s 12th Congressional District, reviving one of America’s most storied political dynasties in one of the country’s bluest strongholds. In an email to supporters obtained by Politico, the 32-year-old Kennedy heir announced, […]

President Donald Trump’s plan to rebrand the Department of Defense as the “Department of War” could come with a staggering price tag—potentially reaching $2 billion—according to six individuals familiar with early cost projections, NBC News reports.

The renaming effort, which still requires congressional approval, would demand a sweeping overhaul across all branches of the U.S. military. Thousands of signs, ID badges, letterheads, plaques, and digital assets featuring the Department of Defense name would need to be redone worldwide, said multiple senior congressional aides from both parties briefed on the estimates.

Of that sum, about half could go toward replacing printed materials and physical signage alone, insiders said. One major financial burden stems from rewriting computer code across the Pentagon’s internal and external systems, both classified and public-facing. Software updates would be necessary to align digital infrastructure with the new name, the aides noted.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that an official cost figure has not yet been finalized. “The Department of War is aggressively implementing the name change directed by President Trump, and is making the name permanent,” he wrote in an email. “A final cost estimate has not been determined at this time due to the Democrat shutdown furloughing many of our critical civilians. A nod to our proud heritage, this change is essential because it reflects the Department’s core mission: winning wars. This has always been our mission, and while we hope for peace, we will prepare for war.”

The White House deferred all cost-related questions to the Pentagon. Nonetheless, the potential multibillion-dollar expense stands in contrast to Trump’s ongoing pledge to rein in federal spending. His administration has already slashed budgets across numerous agencies, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has vowed to cut Pentagon personnel to prioritize what he calls “lethality” and a “warrior ethos.”

Speaking at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day, Trump declared, “Under the Trump administration, we are restoring the pride and the winning spirit of the United States military. That’s why we have officially renamed the Department of Defense back to the original name Department of War.”

At present, “Department of War” serves only as a secondary title under law. The official designation remains Department of Defense, and any formal renaming must pass through Congress. Still, Trump told the crowd that the new name more accurately communicates America’s readiness “to fight to win.”

Trump first revealed his intention to restore the old name in September, when he issued an executive order authorizing Secretary Hegseth to use the title “secretary of war” in all public and internal correspondence. That order gave the Pentagon a 30-day window to initiate the transition and another 60 days to submit the required documentation to the National Security Council for congressional review.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly declined to say whether those deadlines have been met. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the now aptly-named Department of War is refocused on readiness and lethality — and its title now reflects its status as the most powerful fighting force in the world,” she said. “The White House is working hand-in-glove with the Department of War on implementation of the Executive Order.”

After the order was signed, the Pentagon quickly updated its online presence—changing web domains and social media handles to reflect the new name. Secretary Hegseth even replaced the sign outside his office with one reading “The Office of the Secretary of War.” But not all identifiers have been switched. The building’s main brass plaque still welcomes visitors to “The Department of Defense.”

The executive order also mandated that all federal agencies acknowledge and use the new title in correspondence, while noting that Congress must ultimately codify the change.

Republican Senators Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah introduced legislation in September to formally enact the new name, along with a similar House bill from Rep. Greg Steube of Florida. “Restoring the name to Department of War reflects our true purpose: to dominate wars, not merely respond after being provoked,” Scott said. Lee added, “It should always be clear to anyone who would harm our people: Americans don’t just play defense.”

Despite those proposals, the administration has yet to make a serious push to move the legislation forward. Several GOP lawmakers have privately voiced frustration, viewing the initiative as unnecessary political theater. Senator Rand Paul has gone further, publicly opposing the change as “glorifying war” and pledging to block any related funding.

Democrats have been openly dismissive. Senator Tim Kaine criticized the proposal as “cosplay,” adding, “The department is designated by congressional statute as the Department of Defense, not the Department of War. Congress has not authorized the name change … and as far as I’m concerned, there’s no effort for Congress to make the name change.”

Ten Senate Democrats formally asked the Congressional Budget Office in September to evaluate the costs of rebranding, citing expenses for signage, ceremonial items, website redesign, and digital infrastructure updates. In their letter, they called the proposal “wasteful and hypocritical,” accusing the administration of prioritizing “political theater over responsible governance.”

The Pentagon’s name has evolved several times since its founding as the Department of War in 1789. President Harry Truman changed it to the National Military Establishment in 1947 under the National Security Act, which unified the armed services under a single civilian defense secretary. Two years later, Congress renamed it the Department of Defense—a title that has remained in place ever since.

{Matzav.com}

The White House on Wednesday forcefully denied an Israeli media report claiming the United States was planning to establish a major military base in Israel near the Gaza border to support international forces enforcing the ceasefire there. “This article was based on a single piece of paper — an inquiry that somebody in the Department […]

The number of people diagnosed with tuberculosis worldwide rose again last year, eclipsing 2023’s record total, World Health Organization officials said Wednesday. About 8.3 million people across the globe were reported as newly diagnosed with TB in 2024. Not all infections are diagnosed and the new numbers represent 78% of the estimated number of people […]

TONIGHT: A strong geomagnetic storm could light up the northern U.S. skies with a rare and stunning display of the Northern Lights.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been unable to confirm the whereabouts or condition of Iran’s near weapons-grade uranium since Israel’s airstrikes on the country’s nuclear facilities during June’s 12-day war, according to a confidential report obtained by The Associated Press.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog warned that the matter “needs urgently to be addressed,” noting that without updated data from Tehran, it cannot assure member states that Iran’s nuclear material remains in peaceful use.

In its last public assessment in September, the IAEA reported that Iran possessed 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — just a short technical step from the 90% threshold required for weapons-grade material. Director General Rafael Grossi cautioned in an interview that such a stockpile could be enough for roughly 10 nuclear weapons, though he emphasized that there is no indication Iran has built one.

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is strictly civilian, while Western intelligence agencies and the IAEA assert that Tehran operated an organized nuclear weapons effort until 2003.

Under its safeguards agreement with the IAEA, Iran must issue a “special report” following significant incidents such as military attacks or natural disasters, detailing the condition and location of all nuclear material and facilities. The agency stressed that this report is “indispensable” for verifying that none of Iran’s safeguarded sites or materials have been diverted to non-peaceful purposes.

Tehran halted cooperation with the IAEA after the June conflict, which also saw U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure. Although Grossi reached a temporary inspection deal in early September with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during talks in Cairo, the agreement collapsed later that month when the U.N. reinstated sweeping sanctions on Iran.

The sanctions were reimposed by European powers through the U.N. “snapback” mechanism after Tehran refused to engage in direct talks with Washington, failed to restore full IAEA cooperation, and did not clarify the fate of its highly enriched uranium.

Iran remains legally bound by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to permit IAEA oversight of its nuclear activities.

{Matzav.com}

REPORTER: “Should U.S. citizens expect a $2,000 proposal, is the White House committed to making that happen?” PRESS SEC: “The White House is committed to making that happen, yes…I don’t have a timeline for you.”

WATCH: Horrifying moment windsurfer attacked, pulled underwater by a shark off Australia

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Tuesday that his government is engaged in direct negotiations with Israel — the first such acknowledgment since he seized power last year. “We are engaged in direct negotiations with Israel, and we have gone a good distance on the way to reach an agreement,” Sharaa told The Washington Post in […]

War Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Wednesday that the Trump administration will continue using military force to target drug-running vessels in South American waters, insisting that Washington has full legal authority to act. “We got lawyers on lawyers, all the authorities necessary to do so, treating these terrorists like the al-Qaida of the Western Hemisphere,” Hegseth declared during remarks at a defense industry conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The statement came as America’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier entered the Southern Command’s area of operations — a region that has already seen deadly U.S. airstrikes sink numerous suspected smuggling boats. Military officials estimate that at least 75 people aboard those vessels have been killed in recent strikes.

The heightened naval presence has intensified talk that President Trump may be weighing more aggressive action in the hemisphere, possibly targeting Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, who remains wanted in the United States on narcoterrorism charges.

Efforts by Senate Democrats to restrict Trump’s ability to launch a military operation against Venezuela were struck down by Republicans, leaving the White House with broad latitude to continue its campaign in the region.

{Matzav.com}

A diamond brooch that French emperor Napoleon lost while fleeing from the Battle of Waterloo in the early 19th century sold for more than 3.5 million Swiss francs (about $4.4 million) at a Geneva auction on Wednesday, Sotheby’s said. The brooch, which can also be worn as a pendant, features an oval diamond weighing over […]

Russia announced its willingness to return to peace negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, according to a statement reported Wednesday by the state-run TASS news agency. The Kremlin says the initiative for restarting dialogue lies entirely with Kyiv, as the war grinds toward the end of its fourth year.

The last direct encounter between the two sides took place on July 23 in the Turkish city, marking the first attempt in months to revive diplomatic communication. That session, which lasted only 40 minutes, ended without progress.

During that brief meeting, Ukrainian officials suggested arranging a summit in August between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin in hopes of breaking the deadlock. The Kremlin later declared that Putin was open to such a meeting — but insisted it take place in Moscow, a demand Ukraine flatly rejected.

TASS quoted Russian Foreign Ministry official Alexei Polishchuk as saying that Turkey has consistently encouraged both parties to return to the table. “The Russian team is ready for this, the ball is in the Ukrainian court,” he said, framing Moscow as prepared to engage whenever Kyiv agrees.

Ukrainian officials, however, have dismissed Moscow’s narrative, maintaining that Russia’s ongoing aggression and refusal to withdraw troops are the real reasons talks remain frozen. They argue that the Kremlin’s statements are merely an attempt to shift blame for the stalled peace efforts.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump ignited fresh controversy Tuesday night after claiming the United States “doesn’t have talented people” in certain fields, arguing that the country must rely on foreign labor to fill critical industrial and technical jobs. In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Trump defended the use of H-1B visas and other guest […]

President Donald Trump’s initiative to phase out the penny — once dismissed as a symbolic gesture — has rapidly reshaped the nation’s cash economy, leaving retailers, banks, and consumers grappling with the sudden absence of the one-cent coin.

The administration began winding down penny production earlier this year, framing it as a move toward fiscal efficiency. In February, Trump had declared his intention to “rip the waste out of our great [nation’s] budget, even if it’s a penny at a time.” That message set off a chain of actions at the Treasury Department and U.S. Mint, culminating in the official end of penny circulation this week.

On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will travel to the Philadelphia Mint to strike the final batch of one-cent coins for general use, bringing closure to a chapter in U.S. monetary history that began with the Coinage Act of 1792.

Although collectors will still be able to obtain special-edition pennies in small quantities, the Mint’s massive penny-making machinery — responsible for more than 3.2 billion coins in the last fiscal year — is now being retired. Yet, the process has underscored how deeply the penny remains ingrained in daily commerce. Transitioning away from a coin that’s been part of American life for over two centuries has proved anything but simple.

Retailers, grocers, and gas stations have been scrambling for months to adapt. By early September, reports of shortages were already mounting, and since Labor Day, the scarcity has intensified across the country. The Federal Reserve, which manages coin distribution, has temporarily halted penny orders at more than half of its regional distribution centers, with more expected to follow.

“People didn’t realize how quickly this was going to spread,” said Austen Jensen, senior executive vice president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, which represents some of the nation’s largest retail chains.

Treasury officials are now weighing the release of guidance to help businesses adjust — including how to round cash prices and manage transactions without the one-cent coin. Still, many trade associations argue that a consistent, national policy is essential.

Groups representing retailers, restaurants, and banks are urging Congress to pass a federal law standardizing how cash transactions are rounded to the nearest nickel. Without such legislation, they warn, companies could face lawsuits under state consumer protection laws from customers claiming to have been shortchanged.

Efforts to pass that measure have been delayed by the ongoing government shutdown. Although a bipartisan bill establishing a national rounding rule cleared the House Financial Services Committee in July, it has not advanced to the full House, which was out of session for much of the fall.

Banks, too, are caught in the uncertainty. Steve Kenneally, senior vice president of payments at the American Bankers Association, said many financial institutions have been rounding check-cashing transactions in customers’ favor but need official guidance to avoid regulatory pitfalls. “We want to make sure banks don’t suffer any inadvertent regulatory mishaps, because we’re trying to do the right thing and round in favor of the customer,” he said. “We would like to have something, whether it’s from a regulator or legislation, that gives us guidance and that makes it a consistent customer experience everywhere. Having different businesses have different policies just doesn’t feel right.”

The American Bankers Association has also criticized the Federal Reserve’s decision to stop accepting penny deposits at many coin terminals, a policy that prevents banks with surplus coins from redistributing them efficiently. “This policy is accelerating the slowdown of penny circulation drastically,” the group warned in a recent letter to Treasury and the Fed.

A Federal Reserve spokesperson responded that “coin distribution locations accepting penny deposits and fulfilling orders will vary over time as localized inventory is depleted at certain coin distribution locations.”

According to Treasury estimates, ending the penny will save the government roughly $56 million each year. The U.S. Mint reports that manufacturing a single penny now costs 3.69 cents — more than triple its face value — due to rising metal and production costs. Officials concluded that “ongoing increases in production costs and the evolution in consumer habits and technology” have made the penny “financially untenable.”

Bessent’s move followed a formal finding that the one-cent coin was “no longer necessary to meet the needs of the United States,” a first in Treasury history.

While an estimated 300 billion pennies remain in circulation, the Treasury Department has clarified that all existing coins “remain legal tender and will retain [their] value indefinitely.” The penny, though no longer being minted, will continue to exist as a reminder of a bygone era in American currency — one that, for now, is ending a cent at a time.

{Matzav.com}

All 20 personnel on board a Turkish military cargo plane that crashed in Georgia were killed, Turkey’s defense minister announced on Wednesday. The C-130 plane was flying from Ganja, Azerbaijan to Turkey when it crashed in Georgia’s Sighnaghi municipality, close to the Azerbaijani border, on Tuesday. The cause of the crash is being investigated. The […]

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed Wednesday that the Biden administration is preparing major steps to ease costs on consumer staples such as coffee, bananas, and other imported goods not produced domestically.

Speaking on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends,” Bessent said Americans should expect “substantial announcements” in the coming days designed to bring prices down rapidly. “Very quickly,” he emphasized, predicting that by the first half of 2026, “Americans would start feeling better about the economy.”

Bessent also addressed a key part of President Donald Trump’s proposed economic relief initiative — a $2,000 rebate check for households earning under $100,000 annually. He noted that the payments would be funded through tariff revenues but clarified that “no decisions had been made” yet regarding final implementation.

{Matzav.com}