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Federal investigators are piecing together how an Afghan national who entered the country through a Biden-era evacuation program ended up at the center of a vicious midday shooting just steps from the White House. The NY Post reports that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had remained in the United States unlawfully after his visa ran out.

According to federal law enforcement sources cited by FOX News correspondent Bill Melugin, Lakanwal, 29, was part of Operation Allies Welcome — the chaotic 2021 Afghan withdrawal program that brought approximately 90,000 Afghans into the country on Special Immigration Visas. After resettling in Bellingham, Washington, he allegedly stayed on past the expiration of his visa, which lapsed in September.

The Department of Homeland Security “did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment,” leaving key questions unanswered as the investigation unfolds.

Authorities say the assailant concealed himself moments before the ambush, waiting near the Farragut West Metro Station in Northwest Washington until around 2:15 p.m. Then, according to law enforcement sources speaking to The Post, he “rounded the corner” and unleashed gunfire at close range. One of the guardsmen was hit in the chest before being shot again in the head.

Officials say he continued firing, hitting the second Guardsman as the attack escalated. A third guard stationed nearby sprinted toward the gunman and ultimately brought him down, sources said.

Both soldiers — armed and on routine patrol when the violence erupted — were rushed to a local hospital in critical condition, authorities confirmed.

The suspect himself was reportedly struck four times and transported in an ambulance “nearly naked,” according to those briefed on the scene.

Investigators have not yet identified a reason behind the attack. However, federal officials have indicated that the FBI is “initially treating the shooting as a potential act of terrorism” as they work through Lakanwal’s background and possible motives.

{Matzav.com}

A tractor-trailer driver was charged with reckless driving after a fiery crash on the I-95 near VA-288 in Chesterfield County yesterday. The tanker driver, Charles Elliot, 38, of Maryland, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The truck was carrying lime at the time of the crash. He faces reckless-driving charges, and the incident remains under investigation.

CNN: He applies for asylum in December of 2024. Now he goes through another vetting process involving that, and he’s approved for asylum in April of this year under the Trump administration.

Footage is resurfacing of Biden officials Jen Psaki and Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas talking about the program to bring in tens of thousands of Afghans after the botched withdrawal in 2021.

News stations are now calling on President Trump to withdraw National Guard troops from deployments nationwide due to the increased risk of another attack.

Video from earlier shows Park Police were seen quickly assisting in the airlift of an injured National Guardsman following the shooting, landing their helicopter near the Washington Monument.

BREAKING: Terrorist who ambushed National Guard troops in D.C. was admitted into the U.S. under Biden’s ‘Operation Allies Welcome’ after the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan

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Israel has reportedly presented Hamas with an extraordinary proposal: terrorists still hiding in the underground tunnel network in eastern Rafah will be allowed to surrender, serve time in Israeli custody, and eventually return to Gaza—on the condition that they relinquish their weapons and pledge to cease all terror activity.

According to a report aired by Channel 12, the offer was relayed last week through mediators and is aimed specifically at the remaining operatives trapped beneath the rubble of Rafah’s tunnel system.

Under the plan, any terrorist who emerges from the tunnels and turns himself in to the IDF would first be incarcerated in Israel. After serving time, he would be released back into Gaza, provided he signs a declaration stating that he has disarmed and will not reengage in terrorism.

Israeli officials describe the proposal as a last-ditch humanitarian option meant to give those underground a chance to live rather than die. So far, however, none of the terrorists has accepted the offer, and it remains unclear whether Hamas leadership is even in contact with those still trapped below ground.
An Israeli source told Channel 12, “We gave them the opportunity to live and eventually go free, but it seems they’ve chosen to become martyrs.”

While diplomatic pressure continues, IDF forces remain engaged in heavy underground operations, conducting searches and close-quarter combat inside Rafah’s tunnels. Channel 12 reported that earlier today, six terrorists emerged from one of the shafts; four were killed in the ensuing confrontation, and two were taken into custody.

The detainees told Israeli interrogators that at least fifteen bodies of additional operatives remain in the tunnel system.

Military assessments estimate that dozens of terrorists are still stuck in the subterranean network. Special forces, along with Nahal and Golani infantry units, are operating extensively in the area, identifying tunnel openings, sealing shafts with concrete, and cutting off escape routes.

The IDF now believes that the main tunnel connecting Rafah and Khan Younis has been severed, eliminating key pathways for flight and forcing those remaining underground to surface and fight for their lives above ground.

{Matzav.com}

A Jewish woman was robbed at knifepoint and violently assaulted in Flatbush at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, after a suspect pulled a knife, threw her to the ground, and stole her phone, dropping the knife as he fled. The incident unfolded near Avenue K and Nostrand Avenue, where the suspect was attempting to […]

The latest jackpot from the New York Lottery’s “$10,000 a Week for Life” scratch-off has officially been collected, and the fortunate player – a frum Jew – decided to walk away with a single cash payout. After taxes, the prize totaled $4,372,060.

The winning ticket was sold at the NO7 Grocery on 18th Avenue in the heart of Boro Park, adding a jolt of excitement throughout the neighborhood as word spread.

The winner, Marc Klein — once the manager at the Ateres Avrohom wedding venue and currently employed at the Manhattan Beach wedding hall — opted to take the one-time payment instead of the long-term weekly structure.

Klein acknowledged all the buzz surrounding him, stating, “Yes, it’s true. I have about 1,500 messages and like 50 missed calls. Baruch Hashem, a huge brocha. Don’t worry, I’m not changing jobs or anything in my life. Thank you all for the mazel tovs.”

{Matzav.com}

There’s no shortage of articles, speeches, and podcasts analyzing the rising cost of frum living. No one denies it anymore—living a Torah lifestyle is expensive. Many factors have been blamed, from the shidduch system to basic market forces, and each plays a role. But one simple truth remains: if we, as a community, work to […]

A federal three-judge panel on Wednesday allowed North Carolina to use a redrawn congressional map aimed at flipping a seat to Republicans as part of President Donald Trump’s multistate redistricting campaign ahead of the 2026 elections. The map targets the state’s only swing seat, currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis, an African American who represents more […]

Bnei Brak is mourning the petirah of Mrs. Esther Rachel Yaakobovitz zt”l, widow of Rabbi Bentzion Yaakobovitz, one of the most prominent members of the Satmar community and a central figure in the development of the Satmar housing complex in the city. She passed away at the age of 103.

Mrs. Yaakobovitz was born in Antwerp, Belgium, to her parents, Rabbi and Mrs. Dov Bertzi Shapira. She later married Rabbi Bentzion Yaakobovitz, who would go on to become one of the leading Satmar chassidim in Bnei Brak. He authored several well-known works, including Tzioni Taharah and Zechor Yemos Olam.

In 1953, the couple immigrated to Israel at the direction of the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Yoel Teitelbaum, whom they had met years earlier in Antwerp. Upon their arrival, they settled in Bnei Brak, where Reb Bentzion invested tremendous effort in building the Satmar institutions from the ground up, ultimately serving for many years as their director.

During her lifetime, Mrs. Yaakobovitz endured the loss of her son-in-law, Rabbi Eliyahu Katz, who served for decades as a rov of the Satmar community in Bnei Brak.

She merited a large and distinguished family of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The levayah was held tonight at her home at 44 Chazon Ish Street in Bnei Brak, proceeding to the Vizhnitzer Cemetery for kevurah. 

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s air defense network achieved one of the highest interception rates ever recorded in modern warfare during a recent 12-day campaign, neutralizing nearly every hostile drone and most incoming ballistic missiles, according to senior defense officials. Moshe Patel, director of the Homa Directorate at Israel’s Ministry of Defense, revealed the numbers during the UVID 2025 […]

Justice Minister Yariv Levin submitted a harsh response to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, accusing it and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara of obstructing the investigation of the Sdei Teiman affair, including the role of ex-Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushsalmi and other senior members of the military prosecutor’s office. Levin’s response came after petitions were filed against […]

BREAKING: Multiple law enforcement officials tell CBS News the suspect in today’s attack on two National Guard members in downtown Washington, D.C., has been identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. in 2021.  

Calls of outrage erupted online after MS NOW correspondent Ken Dilanian posited on live television that the man who gunned down two National Guardsmen near the White House might have been acting out of confusion or frustration tied to “controversy” around uniformed ICE officers in American cities. His remarks, delivered during a breaking-news segment, immediately triggered a wave of furious responses accusing him of downplaying a deliberate and brutal attack.

During the broadcast, Dilanian remarked, “[O]f course, you know, there’s so much controversy happening in the United States right now with ICE, who are also wearing uniforms and wearing masks. And so there’s, you don’t know, people walking around with uniforms in an American city. There are some Americans that might object to that. And so apparently this shooting has happened.” Viewers were stunned that he framed the ambush as a reaction to uniform confusion rather than as an act of cold-blooded violence.

Authorities have described the incident as a calculated attack. Two National Guard soldiers suffered devastating injuries, with one reportedly struck in the head, after a gunman suddenly fired on them near 17th and I Street around 2:15 p.m., only a short distance from the White House. Metro Police Department executive assistant chief Jeffery Carroll briefed reporters shortly after the shooting, noting that the suspect “rounded the corner” before opening fire on the unsuspecting Guard members.

Online reactions to Dilanian’s take were blistering, with users accusing him of minimizing the seriousness of what had occurred. One incredulous commenter wrote, “You do realize two people were murdered? Surely you know this.” Another blasted the network with, “Leave it to MS FakeNews to victim blame.” Others vented similar frustration, including a viewer who wrote, “This is an insane take and no pushback. You can’t hate the media enough.” Someone else added, “A day before Thanksgiving, two families have lost their loved ones. How dare you say this?”

Following the attack, President Trump directed an additional 500 National Guard troops to be deployed to Washington, bringing the presence in the capital to well over 2,000. Officials emphasized that the shooter acted independently, and there is no active search for accomplices.

According to Carroll, other Guard members confronted the suspect in what he described as “some back and forth,” during which the nearly-nude gunman was shot and injured before being taken into custody. The assailant, who has not yet been publicly identified, was transferred to federal authorities but is reportedly refusing to cooperate. Law enforcement has not announced any motive for the ambush.

{Matzav.com}

The City of Jerusalem has withdrawn its financial support for a large Chanukah concert in Binyanei HaUma after organizers announced that the event will be held exclusively for men, following guidance from leading litvish Roshei Yeshiva. The decision by Jerusalem officials came after women who had purchased tickets for a designated women’s section were suddenly […]

Federal prosecutors have laid out a disturbing series of incidents involving Elijah Alexander King, a 36-year-old San Luis Obispo resident who used the online alias “Billy Badass” to broadcast violent antisemitic threats. King entered a not-guilty plea on Tuesday to charges that could leave him incarcerated for a decade.

Authorities say the outburst that triggered the federal case occurred on Aug. 28, when King took to his “Billy Badass” account on X and posted a message declaring, “I’m gonna blow up every synagogue in a 20-mile radius.” Prosecutors emphasized that the threat was explicit, direct, and immediately alarming.

Just minutes later, King followed up with an additional message: “This is a real threat send the police and report me for terrorism.” Investigators say that shortly after posting, he began searching for synagogues in his vicinity on his cellphone, adding to the gravity of the situation.

Police quickly located King, placing him into a psychiatric facility for observation. But federal officials say the hateful rhetoric didn’t stop there. Even while under the mandatory hold, he kept posting from the “Billy Badass” handle, continuing to target Jews with venomous language.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, King wrote, “I got arrested and put on a 3 day psych hold for my posts against the jews,” and went on to re-post, “[w]e don’t need gun control. We need jew control.” Officials say these messages were part of a larger pattern of antisemitic behavior.

Prosecutors also noted that this was far from King’s first brush with hateful online conduct. His social media history included praise for Adolf Hitler and images of weapons ranging from handguns to knives to mace. After his release from psychiatric care, he allegedly began harassing the detectives who handled his evaluation, calling and emailing them and leaving racist voicemails.

If convicted on all counts, King could face up to 10 years in federal prison, with an additional potential five-year sentence tied to interstate threat and hoax-related charges. His trial is set to begin on Jan. 13, 2026.

{Matzav.com}