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Demonstrations that erupted in Iran late last month have expanded into a nationwide challenge to the ruling system, even as authorities move aggressively to suppress unrest and sever the country’s connections to the outside world.

The protests, which began on Dec. 28 amid outrage over the collapse of the Iranian rial and soaring living costs, have since morphed into direct calls against the Islamic Republic itself. The currency now trades at more than 1.4 million to the U.S. dollar, battered by sanctions tied in part to Iran’s nuclear program.

Despite sweeping internet and phone shutdowns that have made independent verification difficult, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says at least 65 people have been killed and more than 2,300 arrested since the unrest began. Iranian state television, meanwhile, has emphasized casualties among security forces while projecting an image of stability.

Authorities signaled an even harsher response over the weekend. Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warned that anyone taking part in demonstrations would be labeled an “enemy of God,” a charge that carries the death penalty. A statement aired on state television said the designation would also apply to those who “helped rioters.”

“Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country,” the statement read. “Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence.”

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has echoed the threat of a clampdown, even as warnings have come from Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump voiced backing for the demonstrators, writing on social media that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”

The U.S. State Department followed with a blunt message of its own: “Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he’ll do something, he means it.”

International criticism has also mounted. Canada’s foreign affairs minister, Anita Anand, joined officials from Australia and the European Union in issuing a joint condemnation, praising “the bravery of the Iranian people as they stand up for their dignity and their fundamental right to peaceful protest.” The statement added: “We strongly condemn the killing of protesters, the use of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics by the Iranian regime against its own people.”

Inside Iran, officials have tried to convey a sense of normalcy. Saturday, the start of the Iranian workweek, saw many schools and universities shift to online instruction, according to state TV, while internal government websites continued operating.

State television repeatedly aired a stirring orchestral version of the Epic of Khorramshahr by composer Majid Entezami alongside images of pro-government rallies. The piece, associated with Iran’s 1982 recapture of Khorramshahr during the Iran-Iraq war, was also broadcast during Israel’s recent 12-day war with Iran and has appeared in past protest videos, including those following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini.

Anchors insisted calm had returned. “Field reports indicate that peace prevailed in most cities of the country at night,” one state TV presenter said. “After a number of armed terrorists attacked public places and set fire to people’s private property last night, there was no news of any gathering or chaos in Tehran and most provinces last night.”

That account was contradicted by an online video verified by The Associated Press showing thousands gathered in Tehran’s Saadat Abad neighborhood. In the footage, a man could be heard shouting, “Death to Khamenei!”

Other images have continued to surface despite the communications blackout. The semi-official Fars news agency, which is believed to be close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, released surveillance footage it said showed unrest in Isfahan, including a protester appearing to fire a long gun while others hurled gasoline bombs and set fires near what looked like a government compound.

State-linked outlets have also reported deadly attacks on security forces. The Young Journalists’ Club said protesters killed three members of the Basij militia in Gachsaran, while separate incidents left a security official stabbed in Hamadan province, a police officer dead in Bandar Abbas, another killed in Gilan, and one person slain in Mashhad. State TV later broadcast images from a funeral in Qom attended by hundreds.

Iran cut off most internet access and international phone calls on Thursday, allowing only select state-owned or semi-official outlets to publish abroad. Qatar-funded Al Jazeera has continued reporting from inside Iran, appearing to be the only major foreign network able to operate there.

From exile, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has urged demonstrators to sustain pressure. In his latest message, he called on Iranians to protest through the weekend and encouraged them to carry the pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flag and other national symbols to “claim public spaces as your own.”

Pahlavi’s stance has been controversial, particularly given his open support for Israel following the recent conflict. While some protesters have invoked the shah in chants, it remains unclear whether that reflects support for Pahlavi himself or simply a longing for life before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

What began as anger over economic collapse has now evolved into the most serious challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership in years, leaving the government facing sustained unrest at home and mounting pressure abroad as the crackdown intensifies.

{Matzav.com}

Minnesota Congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig, and Kelly Morrison were turned away from a Minneapolis ICE facility as they attempted to visit detainees, days after the fatal shooting of activist Renee Good

[Video below.] Demonstrations against Iran’s ruling clerical establishment continued to swell across the country overnight, with unrest reported in more than 220 towns and cities spanning all 31 provinces. Images circulating online showed large crowds in Tehran, while footage aired by Persian-language broadcasters outside Iran depicted new rallies in Mashhad in the east, Tabriz in the north, and the religious center of Qom.

Iranian authorities responded with escalating threats and force. The nation’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warned that anyone participating in protests would be deemed “an enemy of God,” a charge that carries the death penalty under Iranian law. State television also broadcast a statement vowing prosecution for anyone who aided demonstrators, declaring: “Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country.” The statement added, “Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence.”

The crackdown followed some of the largest demonstrations yet, with videos showing crowds chanting “death to the dictator” and “death to Khamenei,” while others banged pots and pans. Although many protests remained peaceful, footage from several cities showed torched buildings, overturned vehicles, and security forces opening fire.

Medical workers described the toll. A doctor in northwestern Iran said hospitals had received large numbers of injured protesters since Friday, many suffering severe beatings, head trauma, broken limbs, and deep wounds. In one facility alone, at least 20 people had been shot with live ammunition, five of whom later died.

The unrest has coincided with a sweeping communications blackout. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported a “nationwide internet shutdown” lasting at least 36 hours, calling it a violation of citizens’ rights and saying it was “masking regime violence.” Amnesty International said the “blanket internet shutdown” was intended to “hide the true extent of the grave human rights violations and crimes under international law they are carrying out to crush” the protests.

As demonstrations raged inside Iran, solidarity rallies spread across Europe. Iranian expatriates and supporters gathered in cities including Glasgow, Nottingham, Dublin, Brussels, and London to demand an end to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rule and to show support for protesters facing arrest and death back home.

In London, hundreds assembled outside the Iranian embassy in Kensington on Saturday. During the protest, a man climbed onto the embassy’s balcony and tore down the Islamic Republic’s flag, briefly replacing it with Iran’s pre-1979 lion-and-sun flag associated with the ousted shah. The act drew cheers from the crowd before the older flag was removed several minutes later. By around 5 p.m., an embassy official was seen raising the current flag again.

As evening fell, the crowd remained largely peaceful but vocal, chanting slogans including “the homeland will not be free until the mullahs die” and “death to Khamenei.” Others shouted, “Democracy for Iran. Shah Reza Pahlavi. Justice for Iran,” referencing the son of the late shah, now living in the United States. Placards reading “Free Iran” were also visible.

One demonstrator, Taraneh, 33, who declined to give her last name, explained why she attended. “I’m here to support Iranians, my loved ones inside Iran – they’ve been protesting for two weeks today,” she said. She added, “The internet has been shut down … We get very little information from inside Iran.” Describing the situation there, she said, “But, you know, people are still in the streets. They’re being attacked. The Islamic Republic is murdering people.” She added, “I want this regime to go. I just want to be able to go back.”

The Metropolitan Police said extra officers were dispatched to the embassy following the balcony incident, with several officers in riot gear stationed outside. In a social media statement, the force said: “We are aware of a protest currently taking place outside of the Iranian Embassy which has seen a protester climb onto the balcony of the building. Officers are on site and additional officers are being deployed to prevent any disorder.”

Scotland Yard later confirmed two arrests had been made: one person was detained on suspicion of aggravated trespass and assault on an emergency worker, and another for aggravated trespass. Police said they were also seeking an additional individual for trespass.

Video from the scene appeared to show red paint splashed across the embassy’s white exterior, with visible stains near the balcony.

The London embassy has a fraught history, having been the site of a notorious siege in 1980 when six armed men took 26 hostages. The standoff ended after six days when SAS troops stormed the building, rescuing all but one hostage and killing five of the six hostage-takers.

Elsewhere, rights groups continued to tally casualties. The Iranian rights organization HRANA reported 65 deaths as of January 9, including 50 protesters and 15 members of the security forces, amid what it described as a brutal response by the Revolutionary Guards. Another Norway-based group, Hengaw, said more than 2,500 people had been arrested over the past two weeks.

Inside Iran, state media said a municipal building in Karaj, west of Tehran, was set ablaze overnight, blaming what it called “rioters.”

On the international stage, criticism mounted. Earlier in the week, Sir Keir Starmer condemned the killing of protesters and urged Tehran to “exercise restraint.” Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran’s deposed monarch, called for a shift in tactics. “Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres,” he said in a video posted online.

Khamenei, addressing the unrest for the first time since January 3, dismissed demonstrators as “vandals” and “saboteurs.” In a speech aired on state television, he accused US President Donald Trump of having hands that “are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians,” a remark apparently referring to Israel’s June conflict with Iran, which the United States supported and joined with its own strikes.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Amid expanding anti-government demonstrations across Iran, scenes of violence and desperation have emerged, including footage showing families combing through hospital corridors in Tehran, searching among piles of bodies for missing relatives.

Demonstrators have flooded streets in Tehran and other cities, chanting slogans such as “Death to [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei” and “Long live the Shah!” as protests continue despite sweeping internet shutdowns and heavy security deployments.

One protester in Tehran, who was able to briefly connect online through Starlink during the communications blackout, described the situation to the Guardian, saying, “We’re standing up for a revolution, but we need help. Snipers have been stationed behind the Tajrish Arg area.”

The same protester described widespread bloodshed throughout the capital, adding, “We saw hundreds of bodies.”

As reports of the unrest spread beyond Iran’s borders, Senator Lindsey Graham publicly voiced support for the demonstrators and suggested assistance would come. In a message posted on social media, Graham wrote, “TO THE IRANIAN PEOPLE: your long nightmare is soon coming to a close.”

He continued, “Your bravery and determination to end your oppression has been noticed by @POTUS and all who love freedom.”

Referring to President Donald Trump’s rhetoric toward Iran, Graham added, “When President Trump says Make Iran Great Again, it means the protestors in Iran must prevail over the ayatollah. That is the clearest signal yet that he, President Trump understands Iran will never be great with the ayatollah and his henchmen in charge.”

Graham concluded his message by addressing those participating in the uprising directly: “To all who are sacrificing in Iran, God bless. Help is on the way.”

{Matzav.com}

As protests in Iran enter their thirteenth day, mounting reports point to escalating brutality by regime forces in efforts to crush the demonstrations. Many young people who take to the streets are paying a heavy price, and according to various reports, the number of dead and wounded continues to rise at an alarming rate. An […]

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rabbi Dr. Joel Rosenshein zt”l.

Rabbi Rosenshein was a man of uncommon breadth and depth, someone who wore many hats and wore each one with distinction.

A veteran child and family psychologist whose career stretched back to the early 1960s, he stood at the forefront of mental health and special education long before such fields were understood or accepted. Alongside his professional brilliance was a deep sense of achrayus, which led him to devote his life to helping the most vulnerable—children with learning disabilities, families in crisis, and individuals cast aside by society.

In 1962, Rabbi Rosenshein served as a psychology intern at Rusk Rehabilitation Center, the world’s first rehabilitation hospital. During that formative period, he had the rare privilege of meeting Dr. Howard Rusk, the legendary pioneer of rehabilitation medicine. The lessons he absorbed there shaped not only his professional approach but his entire worldview.

Throughout his internship, he learned that technical expertise alone was insufficient. True healing, he believed, required understanding the person behind the diagnosis and connecting to their inner hopes. One of his earliest cases involved a 19-year-old young man who had been critically injured during a smoke-jumping accident when his parachute malfunctioned, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. The young man, deeply embittered, resisted therapy and rebuffed every intern assigned to him.

When Rabbi Rosenshein took over the case, he carefully researched the young man’s background and learned that his lifelong dream had been to become a pilot, an ambition that now seemed shattered. Through determination and creative thinking, Rabbi Rosenshein discovered that while the young man could no longer fly solo, he could realistically train as a co-pilot. He presented this possibility to him with sincerity and confidence, outlining a concrete plan: first earning a living as a radio announcer, then saving toward flight training. For the first time since the accident, the young man smiled. Encouraged and inspired, he began to cooperate with therapy, ultimately becoming a radio announcer and later a trained co-pilot, going on to build a successful and meaningful life. For Rabbi Rosenshein, this case embodied a lifelong truth: real therapy meant speaking to the heart.

Another early case left an equally profound mark. A young man named Bruce, paralyzed from polio and isolated in Goldwater Memorial Hospital among elderly and terminal patients, had become deeply disturbed and threatening, writing hostile letters to public officials. Rabbi Rosenshein recognized that Bruce’s rage stemmed from crushing loneliness. Defying protocol, and with approval from senior leadership, he arranged for Bruce to spend ten days at home during the December holidays. The transformation was dramatic. Upon his return, Bruce told him, “Put that pen away, doctor. You’re a real person. I can talk to you.” The young man soon turned his life around, eventually attending law school and becoming an attorney. Once again, Rabbi Rosenshein had seen what happens when a human being is treated as a person rather than a case number.

As he completed his training, Rabbi Rosenshein was offered a historic opportunity: if he passed the New York City Board of Education psychology exam, he would become the first school psychologist assigned specifically to children with disabilities. At the time, the very concept of addressing the educational needs of the handicapped was revolutionary. Disabled individuals were routinely hidden away or institutionalized, often under horrific conditions. In the broader system, there were no frameworks like Hamaspik or Yeled V’Yalda. Institutions such as Willowbrook in Staten Island housed thousands of neglected and abused individuals.

Although he was offered a position at Willowbrook, Rabbi Rosenshein accepted Rav Moshe Feinstein’s guidance and instead joined the New York City Board of Education. After passing the exam, he officially became the city’s first psychologist dedicated to serving handicapped children.

Together with the renowned neurologist Dr. Stanley Lamm of Long Island College Hospital, who volunteered his services for a symbolic salary of one dollar a year, Rabbi Rosenshein began building an entirely new system. Assigned to Waverly Place in Brooklyn, they developed innovative programs for severely handicapped children and presented detailed proposals to the Board of Education.

As public awareness grew and parental advocacy intensified, national change followed. The passage of Public Law 94-142—the Handicapped Education Law—mandated that every school district in the United States provide appropriate educational services for children with disabilities. Rabbi Rosenshein resolved not merely to comply with the law, but to build a functioning infrastructure from the ground up.

Drawing on methods he had learned during a pivotal summer working at a specialized camp for the handicapped in Kerhonkson, Rabbi Rosenshein embraced a team-based approach, uniting psychologists, speech therapists, educators, and social workers. He helped introduce innovative assessments such as the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Ability and championed the idea of teaching children according to their strengths rather than their weaknesses.

As Director of Evaluation and Placement for Special Education in New York City, Rabbi Rosenshein oversaw the creation of district-based offices staffed by multidisciplinary teams. Under his leadership, the system expanded rapidly, eventually encompassing all 32 school districts and conducting tens of thousands of evaluations annually. For the first time, teachers and educators became full partners in crafting individualized education plans for students.

When leaders of the Jewish community, including Dr. Joseph Kaminetsky and Rabbi Moshe Sherer, raised concerns that Jewish children were being excluded, Rabbi Rosenshein took action. With encouragement from Dr. Helen Feulner of the Board of Education, he convened concerned parents, leading to the founding of P’tach, Parents for Torah for All Children, in 1975. P’tach revolutionized special education in the Torah world by integrating specialized classrooms into mainstream yeshivos and Bais Yaakovs. Within months, children who had been written off were learning Chumash and Mishnayos for the first time, and the model soon spread nationwide.

Budgetary constraints eventually led to Rabbi Rosenshein’s departure from the Board of Education, but his mission only expanded. He accepted leadership of Mishkan in Boro Park, guiding the organization for 21 years. Under his direction, Mishkan grew from serving 40 children to 500, with a budget exceeding $21 million, and played a central role in the post-Willowbrook era of community-based care.

Rabbi Rosenshein later served on the Commissioner’s Planning Board of OPWDD, representing Orthodox interests at the highest levels of state planning. Even after mandatory retirement from JBFCS/Mishkan, he remained deeply active as a consultant to P’tach, Rofeh Cholim Cancer Society, and Torah Umesorah, while maintaining a private practice and advocating legally for children denied services.

He also established an annual Torah Umesorah award recognizing exceptional dedication in the field of mental health chinuch, ensuring that the values he championed would endure.

In addition, Rabbi Rosenshein was a pioneering member of Vaad L’hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel, participating in clandestine missions to the Soviet Union and later helping strengthen Jewish life in places such as Tbilisi and Baku. These experiences, including accompanying Rav Matisyahu Salomon and witnessing the spiritual hunger of forgotten Jews, profoundly shaped his life.

For more than six decades, Rabbi Dr. Rosenshein devoted himself to healing minds, strengthening families, rescuing the forgotten, and building institutions that transformed the Torah world. His wisdom, compassion, and vision changed countless lives, and his legacy will continue to be felt for generations to come.

He is survived by his wonderful children and their families, who follow in his ways.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

A heated exchange erupted in Washington following the fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by an ICE agent, with Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez directing blistering criticism at Vice President JD Vance and the White House pushing back forcefully.

The confrontation stems from the death of Renee Nicole Good, 37, who was shot Wednesday during an encounter with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis after she confronted them from inside her vehicle. Footage of the incident spread rapidly online, intensifying national debate over immigration enforcement and law enforcement use of force.

At a White House briefing on Thursday, Vance defended the agents’ actions in stark terms. “This was an attack on federal law enforcement. This was an attack on law and order.” He continued, “That woman was there to interfere with a legitimate law enforcement operation. The president stands with ICE, I stand with ICE, we stand with all of our law enforcement officers.” Vance also claimed Good was “brainwashed” and suggested she was tied to a “broader, left-wing network.”

Federal sources later told Fox News that Good, a mother of three, had been active as a Minneapolis-based immigration activist and was affiliated with a group known as ICE Watch.

Ocasio-Cortez responded Friday while speaking with reporters on Capitol Hill, sharply condemning Vance’s remarks. “I understand that Vice President Vance believes that shooting a young mother of three in the face three times is an acceptable America that he wants to live in, and I do not,” she said while answering questions from Fox News and other outlets.

She went further, framing the dispute as a fundamental moral divide. “That is a fundamental difference between Vice President Vance and I. I do not believe that the American people should be assassinated in the street.”

The vice president’s office swiftly rejected Ocasio-Cortez’s accusation. A spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “On National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, AOC made it clear she thinks that radical leftists should be able to mow down ICE officials in broad daylight. She should be ashamed of herself. The Vice President stands with ICE and the brave men and women of law enforcement, and so do the American people.”

{Matzav.com}

Newly released cellphone footage is shedding light on the confrontation that ended with a Minneapolis woman being shot and killed by a federal immigration agent, an incident that has intensified already high tensions surrounding the Trump administration’s enforcement actions on illegal immigration in the city.

The video, made public on Friday, comes two days after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot Renee Nicole Good during an encounter on a residential street. Authorities say the shooting occurred as Good allegedly drove her vehicle toward officers on the scene.

Footage recorded from an ICE agent’s perspective shows Good’s Honda Pilot stopped in the middle of a neighborhood roadway, apparently obstructing traffic. During an exchange with one of the agents, Good appears calm, telling him, “That’s fine, dude,” and adding, “ I’m not mad.”

Moments later, one agent circles the vehicle to inspect its license plate. Another officer then approaches the driver’s side and orders Good to exit the SUV. “Get out of the car. Get out of the …. car,” the agent can be heard saying on the recording.

Instead of exiting, Good reverses briefly and then accelerates forward toward the agent wearing the body camera. As the vehicle moves in his direction, the agent is heard exclaiming “whoa” before gunshots are fired. The SUV then veers ahead and slams into a parked car.

The shooting has sparked fierce backlash and renewed criticism of the Trump administration, with Democratic officials disputing federal claims that the agent acted in self-defense. Federal authorities, for their part, have described the shooting as a justified response to an imminent threat and have characterized the incident as an act of domestic terrorism.

Officials also noted that the agent who fired the shots had previously been injured in a separate incident last year, when he was dragged by a fleeing driver. They said he sustained injuries during Wednesday’s confrontation as well, though Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey dismissed those claims.

“The ICE agent walked away with a hip injury that he might as well as gotten from closing a refrigerator door with his hips…,” Frey told reporters Friday. “Give me a break. No, he was not ran over. He walked out of there with a hop in his step.”

Authorities have said Good had been following and harassing federal officers earlier in the day. Federal sources also told Fox News that she was an immigration activist based in Minneapolis and a member of a group known as ICE Watch.

According to Homeland Security sources cited by Fox News, ICE Watch operates in multiple sanctuary cities nationwide and seeks to monitor, track, interfere with, and oppose federal immigration enforcement activities.

{Matzav.com}

YWN regrets to inform you of the petirah of Rabbi Dr. Yosef Shimon (Joel) Rosenshein Z”L, a well-known psychologist, longtime askan, and widely respected figure in Klal Yisroel. Rabbi Dr. Rosenshein, a Brooklyn resident, devoted his life to communal service and was involved in countless efforts on behalf of the tzibbur. He was a founding […]

Warnings are mounting that the upcoming tax filing season could face turbulence, as a sharply reduced workforce and sweeping tax law changes collide. A June report from the National Taxpayer Advocate cautioned that the Internal Revenue Service may struggle in 2026 after losing more than a quarter of its employees. “With the IRS workforce reduced by 26% and significant tax law changes on the horizon, there are risks to next year’s filing season,” said Erin M. Collins, who heads the independent office charged with safeguarding taxpayers’ rights.

Despite those concerns, the IRS is pressing ahead with preparations for the new season, which officially begins on Jan. 26, when the agency starts accepting and processing 2025 tax returns. Taxpayers have until April 15 to file in order to avoid penalties and interest.

The filing season refers to the annual window in which individuals report income earned during the prior calendar year. Most U.S. citizens and permanent residents are required to file if their income exceeds certain thresholds set by law.

Agency leaders say systems and staff are ready. IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano, appointed to the newly created role in October, sought to reassure the public. “The IRS workforce remains vigilant and dedicated to their mission to serve the American taxpaying public.
At the same time, IRS information systems have been updated to incorporate the new tax laws and are ready to efficiently and effectively process taxpayer returns during the filing season.” Bisignano also serves as commissioner of the Social Security Administration.

The IRS will also be tasked with carrying out major elements of Republicans’ tax and spending package enacted last summer. Several of those provisions apply retroactively to the 2025 tax year, a shift expected to generate confusion among filers and force updates to tax forms and guidance.

Acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent echoed confidence in the agency’s ability to handle the workload while tying the effort to broader economic goals. “President Trump is committed to the taxpayers of this country and improving upon the successful tax filing season in 2025,” Bessent said in a statement. “I am confident in our ability to deliver results and drive growth for businesses and consumers alike.”

The IRS anticipates receiving about 164 million individual income tax returns this year, roughly in line with last year’s volume. According to agency data, the average refund last season came to $3,167, and Bessent has repeatedly said provisions in the Republican tax law are expected to translate into larger refunds in 2026.

Still, staffing levels remain a major point of concern. The National Taxpayer Advocate’s report to Congress noted that the IRS workforce shrank from 102,113 employees at the end of the Biden administration to 75,702. The agency’s website has not yet been updated to reflect current employment figures.

Adding to the strain, IRS employees who worked during last year’s filing season were barred from accepting buyout offers from the Trump administration until after the April 15, 2025 deadline, delaying departures but not preventing the eventual loss of personnel.

Tax experts, including the IRS’s own watchdog, have warned that the combination of tens of thousands of departures tied to layoffs and buyouts — driven by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency — along with complex new tax rules, could make the 2026 filing season more challenging than usual.

{Matzav.com}

Tensions between President Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have escalated sharply, culminating in mutual accusations, public insults, and a complete breakdown of what was once a close political alliance.

The latest rupture traces back to a September evening when Trump dined near the White House and was confronted by activists from the far-left group Code Pink. According to accounts cited by Axios and confirmed by sources familiar with the matter, White House officials came to suspect that Greene alerted the protesters to the president’s whereabouts. Those concerns were later conveyed to the Secret Service.

The dinner took place on September 9 at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, just blocks from the White House. Trump chose the restaurant as part of an effort to highlight his administration’s push against crime in Washington, DC. The outing was not publicly announced in advance.

During the meal, demonstrators crowded Trump’s table and shouted slogans including: “Free DC, Free Palestine, Trump is the Hitler of our time.”

According to one source, Greene had suggested Joe’s as a dining option for the president. That detail, combined with the fact that the reservation was not made public, fueled internal suspicion about how the activists learned of Trump’s plans.

White House officials also pointed to Greene’s past comments about her relationship with Code Pink leadership. In a December 10 post on X, Greene wrote: “I have enjoyed a friendship with Medea for a few years now even though politics says that’s not allowed.” Medea Benjamin is a co-founder of Code Pink.

A former senior administration official summed up Greene’s political drift bluntly, saying, “Marjorie is closer with the hosts of ‘The View’ than the president.”

Greene forcefully rejected the allegations and threatened legal action against Axios in a lengthy statement posted on X after the report was published. She framed the accusations as retaliation for her criticism of the president and her role in pressing for the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

“They are mad at me for telling the truth about the President and forcing the release of the Epstein files. Now they are making up horrific lies about me!!,” she wrote.

She also denied having any meaningful relationship with Benjamin and placed responsibility for the protest squarely on security failures.

“Code Pink was in the restaurant because the WH and Secret Service did NOT sweep Joe’s, did NOT set up metal detectors and check everyone in the restaurant, and did not do any of their normal security protocols that they do at every public event he attends!!! Only the WH set up President Trump’s reservation at Joe’s, NOT ME!! I had ZERO knowledge of when his reservation was! The only people who could have tipped off Code Pink was the restaurant or the WH!,” Greene wrote.

She followed that with another emphatic denial: “This is a dangerous false accusation against me that is 100% false and you and Axios should never publish such a horrific lie!!! Anyone saying this is true is absolutely lying!!!”

Neither the Secret Service nor Benjamin responded to requests for comment.

The dispute is the latest chapter in a relationship that began unraveling earlier last year. Trump attempted to dissuade Greene from launching a US Senate bid in Georgia, sharing internal polling that showed her trailing Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Greene ultimately opted not to run and later said she never discussed the race with Trump.

The rift widened further when Greene joined three other House Republicans in backing a discharge petition that led to the release of Epstein-related files, a move that infuriated the White House. In the weeks that followed, Trump publicly pulled his political support, and Greene shifted from being a staunch ally to an outspoken critic, attacking the president’s foreign policy and his handling of the Epstein matter.

Trump responded with his own barbs, branding Greene a “stone cold liberal” and mocking her with the nickname “Marjorie Traitor Brown,” which he said was “because green turns to brown under stress.”

Greene later said those remarks put her in danger, telling “60 Minutes” in December that she received death threats after Trump’s comments.

Having resigned her House seat, Greene has since returned to Georgia, where she is preparing for her wedding to fiancé Brian Glenn, a former White House correspondent for Real America’s Voice.

{Matzav.com}

Amid widening unrest across Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei moved Friday to publicly confront both domestic demonstrators and President Trump, using a flurry of posts on X to signal defiance as economic protests escalated into violent clashes in cities nationwide.

Iranian authorities responded to the turmoil by restricting communications in the capital, shutting down internet and phone access in Tehran. According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 36 people have been killed. The group reported that security forces arrested 2,076 individuals following 285 separate protests spanning 92 cities in 27 provinces.

President Trump has repeatedly cautioned Tehran against using lethal force on protesters, warning that if Iranian security forces open fire, “we’re going to hit them very hard.” He underscored that message again Thursday night during an interview on Fox News with Sean Hannity.

“Nobody’s ever seen anything like what’s happening right now,” Trump said. “But I have put Iran on notice that if they start shooting at them — these people are totally unarmed people, and they love their country, they want something to happen.”

Khamenei, however, dismissed Trump’s statements as cynical and hostile, accusing the United States of past bloodshed. Referring to U.S. involvement in regional conflicts, he claimed Washington had acknowledged responsibility for deadly strikes during Iran’s recent 12-day war with Israel, which he said killed “more than a thousand of our country’s citizens.”

“So, he confessed that the Iranians’ blood was on his hands,” Khamenei said in one of his posts. “Now he’s saying that he’s on the side of the Iranian nation!”

In another message, Khamenei framed the protests themselves as acts of sabotage carried out on behalf of Washington. He wrote that demonstrators were “a bunch of people bent on destruction came and destroyed buildings that belong to their own country in order to please the President of the US and make him happy.”

Photos and videos circulated globally on Friday showed buildings burning after overnight unrest, underscoring the intensity of the demonstrations and the confrontations with security forces.

The Iranian leader also suggested that the state was fully prepared to confront the unrest by force, drawing a comparison to the period before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. “Today, the Iranian nation is even more equipped and armed than that day [before the Revolution],” Khamenei wrote. “Both our spiritual strength and hard, conventional weapons can’t be compared to what we had before.”

Earlier, Khamenei had used social media to liken Trump to figures from ancient history as well as Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah toppled in 1979. “He too will fall,” Khamenei said of Trump in one post.

In a separate message, Khamenei accused the United States of exploiting other nations for resources, citing Venezuela as an example. He wrote that the U.S. “besieged” the country and was not “even ashamed and explicitly state that this was for oil. For oil!”

Trump’s warnings to Tehran come in the wake of recent U.S. military actions in the region, including strikes in Venezuela that led to the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro and earlier attacks on Iran in June. Those strikes hit three Iranian nuclear sites and helped Israel bring its 12-day war with Iran to an end, though Israeli officials have since warned that Tehran is attempting to rebuild its military capabilities.

Supporters of Trump echoed his message in recent days. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina issued a stark warning during an appearance Tuesday on Hannity.

“To the people of Iran: We stand with you tonight,” Graham said. “We stand for you taking back your country from the Ayatollah, a religious Nazi who kills you and terrorizes the world. And to the Ayatollah: You need to understand, if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life, Donald J. Trump is going to kill you.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s stock market entered new territory on Friday as the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange opened for business at the end of the workweek, marking a departure from its long-standing trading calendar.

For decades, the exchange operated from Sunday through Thursday, reflecting the Israeli workweek and the early Friday closures observed by banks and companies ahead of Shabbos. While Sunday functions as a regular business day in Israel, global markets are typically closed, leaving TASE out of sync with international trading patterns.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the change is part of a broader effort to integrate Israel more fully into global financial systems. “As part of our reforms to strengthen the Israeli economy, we have moved the stock exchange to operate Mondays through Fridays to align trading days with what is customary in stock exchanges worldwide, enable the Israeli stock exchange to join international indices, and encourage both Israeli and international companies to issue shares under the blue-and-white flag.”

The first Friday session also featured a milestone in derivatives trading. Yaniv Pagot, the Vice President of Trading at TASE, noted the significance of the opening day, saying, “We started the trading day with a historic first option expiration, which saw a trading volume of approximately 106 million shekels.”

Smotrich emphasized that the revised schedule was implemented with religious sensitivities in mind. “We did this, obviously, while taking precautions to avoid desecrating Shabbat, both by setting appropriate operating hours and through regulatory instructions from the Securities Authority, which postpone most of the trading closure activities to Sunday. We will continue, G-d willing, to strengthen Israel’s economy and fortify the power of the State of Israel,” he said.

With the adjustment, Israel’s market hours now mirror those of major exchanges abroad, a move officials say is intended to boost participation, visibility, and growth in the Israeli capital markets.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rabbi Tzvi Menachem Gartenhaus zt”l.

In his younger years, he studied at the Woodridge Yeshiva, where he learned under Rav Levi Krupenia and was shaped by a deep commitment to Torah and avodas Hashem. Those years laid the foundation for a lifetime of Torah and avodah.

In later years, Rabbi Gartenhaus was among the founders of Bodek, playing a key role in providing tola’im-free products to Yidden. Through this work, he helped countless families maintain kashrus with confidence and peace of mind..

The levaya is taking place this morning at at Rav Frankel’s Shul, located at 1093 East 21st Street, Brooklyn, New York.

The family will be sitting shivah at 988 East 21st Street in Brooklyn, New York, through Thursday morning.

Rabbi Gartenhaus is survived by his devoted wife and family.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. military and law enforcement forces carried out a surprise early-morning operation Friday in the Caribbean, intercepting a tanker believed to be smuggling sanctioned Venezuelan oil and signaling a stepped-up effort to disrupt covert maritime trafficking networks.

According to U.S. Southern Command, Marines and Navy personnel assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Spear deployed from the USS Gerald R. Ford before dawn and took control of the motor tanker Olina without resistance. The mission was conducted in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.

“Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: there is no safe haven for criminals,” the command said in a statement posted on X.

The operation was supported by the Navy’s Amphibious Ready Group, including the USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, and USS Fort Lauderdale, highlighting the scale of force Washington is bringing to bear as it intensifies its campaign against illegal shipping activity in the region.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Coast Guard intercepted the vessel in international waters east of the Caribbean after it departed Venezuela and attempted to avoid U.S. authorities.

“The world’s criminals are on notice,” Noem wrote on X.

U.S. officials believe the Olina is linked to a so-called “ghost fleet,” a network of ships accused of transporting embargoed oil using falsified registrations and deceptive nationality claims. The Trump administration says proceeds from these operations help finance criminal enterprises, including narco-terrorism.

“The ghost fleets will not outrun justice,” Noem said. “They will not hide under false claims of nationality.”

The interdiction was conducted as part of Operation Southern Spear, an initiative led by the Department of War focused on cutting off illegal oil flows and reinforcing maritime security throughout the Western Hemisphere.

“This is owning the sea,” Noem said.

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the killing of a Minneapolis mother by a federal immigration officer reflects what he described as a sustained pattern of harsh enforcement under President Donald Trump, arguing that the incident exposed deeper problems with how immigration agents operate nationwide.

In an interview Thursday night, Mamdani dismissed claims by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that the officer involved acted according to training when he shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good inside her vehicle after being struck by the car. Mamdani instead faulted the administration’s expanded use of ICE personnel, saying the policies created conditions that led to the woman’s death.

“If that is following his training, then I think there are larger questions about the training that’s being provided to ICE agents,” Mamdani said during a CNN appearance with Kaitlan Collins.

He went on to say that the widely circulated footage of the shooting left little room for doubt in his view.

“We can all see that video and come to our own conclusions that that ICE agent murdered a woman in Minneapolis, and it is a glimpse into what has been a year full of cruelty.”

Mamdani said the incident reverberated far beyond Minneapolis, particularly in New York City, which he noted is home to roughly 3 million immigrants. He said many residents woke up the next day feeling unsettled and fearful.

The mayor added that he has already raised concerns directly with Trump, telling the president that ICE’s tactics undermine, rather than enhance, public safety.

“It is clear to myself and to so many across the country, as I’ve shared with the president directly, that these ICE raids are cruel and inhumane and they do nothing to further the cause or the interest of public safety,” he said.

Collins challenged Mamdani on his repeated use of the word “murder,” pointing out that Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey — despite angrily telling ICE to “get the f—k out” of his city — has stopped short of using that term.

“That was the conclusion I came to just in watching that video, and I think that’s the conclusion many Americans came to, that same conclusion, no matter how many times this is mischaracterized by others,” Mamdani replied.

The mayor has made opposition to ICE a recurring theme, previously labeling the agency “rogue.” During his Democratic primary victory speech in June, he pledged to wield his authority “to reject Donald Trump’s fascism [and] to stop mass ICE agents from deporting our neighbors.”

After a recent enforcement action in Chinatown, Mamdani released a video urging residents to “stand up” to ICE and explaining how to assert constitutional rights during encounters with immigration officers.

His remarks come as Democratic officials across the country escalate their criticism of ICE amid protests sparked by Good’s death, including demonstrations in New York City. According to reports, some members of Congress are even weighing the possibility of forcing a government shutdown to push for changes to the agency.

Frey, for his part, declined to walk back his own sharp language after publicly demanding that ICE leave Minneapolis.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has also entered the fray, saying her administration is exploring ways to make it easier for New Yorkers to bring lawsuits against ICE agents. On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” she recounted a recent confrontation with an agent in Lower Manhattan.

“I said, ‘Why do you wear a mask? No other law enforcement does this, our police don’t do it, our FBI agents don’t do it, why are you doing this?’” Hochul said.

{Matzav.com}

Against the backdrop of mounting tension over Israel’s draft law and growing anxiety about the future of the Torah world, a new framework has been put forward that aims to defuse the crisis. The initiative is being advanced by the Rav Dovid Leibel, president of the Achvas Torah communities, together with the Stoliner Rebbe.

The emerging plan is designed to extricate the chareidi public from what supporters describe as a legal and political deadlock, while preserving the foundational principle of Toraso umnaso. Its architects argue that the current impasse stems from a lack of clear differentiation between full time yeshiva students and those who are formally registered but do not actually learn.

At the heart of the proposal is a rejection of any system of enlistment quotas or numerical targets. According to the plan, no fixed draft goals would be imposed on the yeshiva world, thereby shielding bona fide Torah learners from sanctions or coercive measures.

In parallel, the framework calls for what is described as airtight and meaningful oversight. Under this model, military authorities would conduct thorough and consistent verification to ensure that anyone listed as a yeshiva student is indeed attending and learning on a regular basis.

Those found not to meet the criteria of Toraso umnaso—and who also do not enlist—would face firm consequences. The proposal envisions enhanced enforcement, including significant economic penalties and additional sanctions, directed specifically at individuals who are neither learning nor serving.

Proponents of the initiative say its logic is straightforward: there is no realistic way to defend draft evasion by individuals who are not part of the yeshiva system in practice. They contend that genuine enforcement would remove thousands of non-learning registrants from the rolls, thereby addressing the army’s manpower needs without harming authentic yeshiva students.

The outline has already drawn notable interest from reserve soldiers’ organizations as well as figures within the Religious Zionist community, who view it as a practical avenue for increasing enlistment among those not engaged in full-time Torah study, while leaving the core of the Torah world intact.

{Matzav.com}

ISRAEL: Dramatic footage has emerged from a tragic incident at Te’ayu Beach in Bat Yam, where multiple kite surfers were suddenly violently lifted approximately 150 meters into the air by powerful winds. Tragically, one of them lost their life.

BREAKING: U.S. Southern Command released footage showing the boarding and seizure of the oil tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea. This marks the third oil tanker seized by the United States this week.