Feed aggregator

Jimmy Kimmel, the late-night host recently suspended from ABC, has been criticized for heavily favoring liberal voices on his program while focusing his comedic barbs almost exclusively on Republicans. A review by NewsBusters found that in the last three years, Kimmel invited only one Republican guest, even as his monologues relentlessly skewered conservatives.

Before being pulled “indefinitely” from Jimmy Kimmel Live! following his claim that Charlie Kirk’s killer was linked to the MAGA movement, Kimmel, 57, featured 13 left-leaning guests this year alone without a single Republican, according to the media watchdog group.

The group also documented that the share of Kimmel’s political jokes aimed at conservatives jumped sharply, rising from 88% in 2023 to 97% in 2025.

In fact, Kimmel made 1,128 jokes about President Donald Trump this year — more than any other target.

The runner-ups were Trump’s ally Elon Musk, mocked 154 times, and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was ridiculed on 71 occasions.

By comparison, President Joe Biden, who has faced repeated verbal missteps, was the subject of just 26 jokes, according to the same analysis.

Since resuming his show on Sept. 2 after summer break, Kimmel devoted approximately 90 minutes across nine episodes to blasting Trump in his opening monologues, a review by the New York Post found.

Roger Stone, Trump’s longtime political strategist, didn’t hold back in his criticism. “Kimmel has become a shill for the left and a persistent source of boring unfunny narratives. People I know who have interacted with him also say he’s a jerkoff,” Stone told the Post.

“Kimmel’s greatest crime was that he wasn’t funny, and that his rhetoric often veered into the hateful . . . He won’t be missed,” Stone added.

The only Republican to appear on the program in the past four years was MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, who was interviewed in 2023 but only inside a claw machine because he refused the COVID-19 vaccine. Kimmel admitted he insisted Lindell sit in the machine “because it’s hilarious.”

“Of all the colorful unhinged characters who’ve come to prominence in the political era of Donald Trump, our next guest is probably the most enthusiastic,” Kimmel joked during the Jan. 31, 2023 broadcast.

“To help him conquer his debilitating fear of machines we have installed him inside a claw machine for his interview tonight,” Kimmel said, mocking Lindell’s outspoken views on voting-machine fraud.

A former Kimmel writer, Blaire Erskine, tried to counter accusations of bias by listing Republicans who had once appeared on the show. “Oh and your king Donald Trump was a guest on Kimmel,” she posted on X.

But Trump’s appearance dates back a decade. Bill Cassidy was the last Republican senator to show up, in 2017, and he was grilled about the GOP’s health care plan.

Former New York City Councilman Joe Borelli said the numbers don’t lie. He called Kimmel a “liberal hack” and mocked his change in appearance, saying he was “a lot funnier fat.”

“Kimmel decided to be a whiny pompous liberal who, as his ratings show, clearly turned off even the most passive viewer who once tuned in as background noise while scrolling Etsy in bed,” Borelli said.

Nielsen ratings show that by August 2025, Jimmy Kimmel Live! had dropped to just 1.1 million viewers, down from 1.95 million at the start of the year, making it the lowest-rated late-night program.

Kiersten Pels, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, accused Kimmel of relying on “parroting Democrat talking points to a tiny left-wing fanbase.”

“Now Democrats are more enraged over an out-of-touch, washed-up millionaire losing his ABC gig than they were about the cold-blooded murder of Charlie Kirk,” she said. “This tells you everything you need to know about the Democrat Party.”

NewsBusters noted that the imbalance exists across all late-night shows. From September 2022 through June 2025, they counted 511 liberal guests compared with just 14 conservatives across programs hosted by Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, and Jon Stewart.

CBS recently announced that Colbert’s Late Show would end in May, citing financial concerns.

Curtis Houck, managing editor at NewsBusters, dismissed Kimmel’s program entirely. “For a man hailed by friends as someone whose kindness and sincerity are allegedly defining features, his so-called comedy is the opposite,” Houck said.

“While [Stephen] Colbert was late-night group therapy for liberals, Kimmel was a daily pep rally for liberals and a source of unearned validation for their land of delusion.”

The controversy around Kimmel intensified after his Monday monologue, when he declared, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Two days later, ABC announced the show would be suspended “indefinitely.”

The suspension triggered debates about censorship and freedom of speech.

But Vice President JD Vance dismissed those arguments, writing, “Jimmy Kimmel wasn’t funny, his ratings were in the toilet, and his advertisers were revolting.”

“Also the bellyaching from the left over ‘free speech’ after the Biden years fools precisely no one,” Vance continued, pointing to allegations that Democrats concealed Biden’s declining health during the 2024 campaign.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of Staten Island and Brooklyn said the issue was not censorship but audience appeal. “This is not about freedom of speech,” she told the NY Post. “It’s about maintaining an audience and ratings. A politically lopsided show has a hard time doing that, which is why [Kimmel] lost nearly a million viewers over the past decade.”

{Matzav.com}

A man from Texas who grew up in an Jewish family near Boston is now facing criminal charges for allegedly issuing threats against Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee in the race for New York City mayor.

Jeremy Fistel, 44, appeared in a Queens courtroom on Thursday to answer a 22-count indictment that includes accusations of making terroristic threats as well as aggravated harassment.

According to prosecutors, Fistel carried out a seven-week campaign of intimidation starting in June, bombarding Mamdani with phone calls and online posts. He allegedly called him a “terrorist,” insisted that he had no place in the United States, and warned him against starting his car, hinting it could be rigged to explode.

Some of the messages, which Mamdani’s campaign publicized at the time, also included the warning to “check your beeper,” apparently referencing Israel’s large-scale attack last year in which thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon were detonated remotely.

Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens known for his pro-Palestinian stance and positioned to become the city’s first Muslim mayor if victorious, has since obtained an order of protection against Fistel.

“We cannot and will not be intimidated by racism, Islamophobia, and hate,” his campaign stated. “Zohran remains steadfast in his conviction that New York must be a city where every single person — regardless of faith, background, or identity — is safe, protected, and at home.”

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz released a statement as well, declaring, “We take threats of violence against any office holder extremely seriously — and there is no room for hate or bigotry in our political discourse.”

Fistel has pleaded not guilty. If convicted of the top charges, he could spend up to 15 years in prison. He was taken into custody earlier this month in Plano, Texas, before being extradited to New York.

His attorney argued that Fistel had no intention of harming anyone and did not realize that his phone calls might constitute a crime, according to The New York Times.

“I’ve never been in a fight with anybody,” Fistel reportedly told Texas police, as relayed by prosecutors. “I’m not the guy, man. I’m just a regular guy. I know I didn’t sound like a nice guy on the phone.”

Court filings reveal this is not Fistel’s first brush with the law. In 2012, he admitted guilt in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana case, one that dragged on for years. At that time, numerous letters were submitted vouching for his character and highlighting his religious and communal involvement.

He grew up in Sharon, Massachusetts, attending Orthodox Jewish day schools and participating actively in synagogue life. After the sudden death of his father, he often accompanied his younger brother Joshua — who has developmental challenges — to services at Young Israel of Sharon “in honor of our father,” according to one letter submitted on his behalf.

Friends from his time at the University of Maryland also described his Jewish connections. A rabbi who met him through Hillel told the sentencing judge that Fistel took part in services, explored his Jewish roots, and delivered food to the homeless every Purim.

Other letters praised him as a steady force in his family and community, someone known for giving to both Jewish and broader charitable causes, including donations to the Hillel Foundation.

Now, prosecutors contend that Fistel turned his anger toward an elected official whose politics and identity he despised. Mamdani has been an outspoken critic of Israel, and at least one of the messages attributed to Fistel referenced the country explicitly, with him allegedly saying, “I’d love to see an IDF bullet go through your skull,” according to the Times.

The case unfolds against a backdrop of rising political violence. Just last week, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed in Utah, and in June, Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were murdered in their home.

Speaking to the Times, Mamdani said he would not abandon his trademark approach of maintaining direct and open contact with the public, even in light of the threats.

{Matzav.com}

Hamas’s internal security announced that it carried out the death sentence of a man accused of aiding Israel, describing the move as part of its ongoing effort to confront threats from within.

In a formal declaration, Hamas’s Internal Security Apparatus identified the man as Amin Bakhri Abu Bakhra, saying he was put to death after being convicted of involvement in “serious security activity.” The group accused Abu Bakhra of helping to create an armed faction under the leadership of Yasser Abu Shabab — a group Hamas insists has Israeli backing — and of training fighters to serve Israel’s interests.

The faction in question, led by Abu Shabab, is said to operate in the Rafah area, which is under IDF control. According to Hamas, the group not only fights against its own operatives but also takes part in overseeing the distribution of humanitarian supplies.

Hamas stated that the execution was intended as a “clear message” to anyone who might consider working with Israel, stressing that anyone found guilty of betrayal would face immediate and harsh consequences. The group added that family connections would not offer protection for those who collaborate.

The statement concluded by reiterating Hamas’s determination to continue targeting what it calls “agent networks posing a threat to the Palestinian people.”

{Matzav.com}

A determined group of young Breslover chassidim managed to reach Uman for Rosh Hashanah after a grueling four-day journey spanning five countries — all for the modest cost of 670 shekels. Their unconventional route, taken to avoid restrictions and high costs, has become a story of perseverance, faith, and joy.

For followers of Rav Nachman of Breslov, traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah is one of the most profound traditions of the year. Tens of thousands make the annual pilgrimage, often facing delays, logistical challenges, and even political obstacles.

This week’s story highlights a group that left on Monday and did not arrive until Friday, a trip that under normal circumstances would take only a few hours by direct flight. Their odyssey demonstrates both the difficulties of traveling during wartime and the unshakable determination of those committed to reaching the tziyun.

Instead of flying straight to Ukraine, the group began in Bnei Brak, took a bus from Tel Aviv to Eilat, and spent the night at the local Chabad House. Early the next morning, after Shacharis, they crossed the Taba border into Sinai, continued to Dahab, and stayed overnight in a simple hotel. From there, they proceeded to Sharm el-Sheikh Airport, where they boarded a flight to Milan, Italy.

In Milan, the travelers endured an eight-hour layover. Their journey continued with a flight to Suceava, Romania, and from there, they crossed the border into Ukraine on foot.

Along the way, they paused at kevorim of tzaddikim in Ukraine, turning the exhausting trek into a moving pilgrimage of its own.

The choice to travel by such a difficult route was driven by fear of detentions at Ben Gurion Airport and complications caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine. In the end, their gamble proved worthwhile. Not only did they avoid problems, but the entire trip cost them just 670 shekels, plus $100 for lodging and meals in Uman. All told, they spent about 1,100 shekels on the entire journey.

Finally, on Erev Shabbos — hungry, drained, yet spiritually uplifted — the group reached Uman. Upon arriving at Rav Nachman’s tziyun, instead of collapsing in exhaustion, they erupted into spirited dancing and heartfelt song.

{Matzav.com Israel}

[COMMUNICATED]

Rabbi Zamir Cohen in a rare blessing: “Whoever makes sure that babies do not lack food, God will make sure that he does not lack in the coming year!”

A person’s greatest fear is that he will not have enough to provide for himself and his family, for what they need. That he will not have enough at the end of the month to pay off the credit that is being withdrawn, that he will not have enough money to go shopping at the supermarket.

We want security, we want to know that we have security that we will have all our needs and will not be lacking anything.🙏

Rosh Hashanah is approaching, a day when an allowance is cut for every person and every family. On the day when the Holy One, blessed be He, inscribes what we will each have this year, how much exactly we will receive, how much abundance each person will have.

We believe, my brothers and sisters, that the more a person works in the world below, the more he has the power, for each person, even if he is simple, to influence the world above.

What defense can a person take with him on such a day?

Here at the Nezer HaCohen nonprofit, we hear heartbreaking stories about mothers in distress who are unable to give their babies food, who are counting the diapers because they simply do not know that they will have enough for what they need. Truly heartbreaking stories.

I appeal to anyone who can, with God’s help, take on the needs of such a baby, so that we can make sure that each baby will receive the food and other accessories he needs.

May the Holy One, blessed be He, not remain indebted to him and he will write him for a year in which he and his family will lack nothing, and they will have great abundance, with God’s help.

Measure for measure. He works so that that baby will not lack anything, God Almighty will work so that he and his family will not lack anything, with God’s help in the coming year!”

Donate now