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Following Nicolás Maduro’s arrest, President Trump openly suggested the United States could take military action against Colombia.

Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump lashed out at Colombian President Gustavo Petro, portraying him as deeply entangled in the cocaine trade and hinting that his time in power may be short. “Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man, who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States, and he’s not going to be doing it very long,” Trump said.

When pressed directly on whether the United States might launch military operations against Colombia, Trump did not rule it out, replying, “it sounds good to me.”

The comments sparked immediate outrage in Bogotá, where Colombia’s government accused Trump of crossing a dangerous line. In a sharply worded statement released late Sunday, the country’s Foreign Ministry said the remarks were unacceptable, declaring that “It represents an undue interference in the internal affairs of the country, against the norms of international law.”

Trump’s escalation comes in the wake of Maduro’s capture and impending court appearance in New York City on federal drug-trafficking and related charges. The arrest followed months of U.S. airstrikes targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean, an operation that later widened to include ships in the eastern Pacific believed to have originated from Colombia.

The administration has already taken punitive steps against Petro. In October, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on the Colombian president, members of his family, and one senior official, citing allegations that Colombia was complicit in the global cocaine trade.

Trump doubled down on his rhetoric Sunday, again accusing Petro of overseeing cocaine production facilities. “He’s not going to be doing it for very long,” Trump said of the Colombian leader. “He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories. He’s not going to be doing it.”

At the same time, an unexpected diplomatic opening emerged from Caracas. Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez struck a markedly different tone from her earlier denunciations of the raid, which she had described as an illegal attempt to seize national resources.

“We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence,” Rodriguez said.

She followed with a direct appeal to Trump, adding, “President Donald Trump, our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war.”

Rodriguez, who also serves as Venezuela’s oil minister, is widely viewed as the most pragmatic figure within Maduro’s inner circle, and Trump has previously indicated that she was open to engagement with Washington.

Despite her conciliatory remarks, Rodriguez has continued to insist publicly that the arrests of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, amounted to a “kidnapping,” and she maintains that Maduro remains Venezuela’s president.

{Matzav.com}

Netanyahu on his relationship with Trump – We agree on the big things, but as is common in families, from time to time there are differences in approach on certain points.

NETANYAHU: It is very possible that we are standing at a decisive moment, a moment in which the Iranian people will take their fate into their own hands. In any case, we will not allow Iran to rebuild the ballistic missile industry or renew the nuclear program.

After an unidentified drone flew over the Nevatim Air Force Base in southern Israel, security forces arrested a 21-year-old suspect in connection with the incident, and the Shin Bet has joined the investigation.

A 19-year-old barista at a café in Hampstead, London, was fired on Sunday after a Jewish customer was served a cappuccino topped with cocoa powder in the shape of a swastika.

Israeli security forces arrested a 30-year-old Rishon Lezion resident over an Iranian-directed surveillance mission near the home of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is launching its once-daily Wegovy pill in the United States today, offering 1.5 milligram and 4 mg doses at $149 per month for self-paying patients in an intensely competitive weight-loss drug market.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has pulled the plug on his campaign for a third term, a sudden move that comes as the state grapples with a widening fraud scandal tied to public assistance programs that exploded during his tenure.

Until the announcement, Walz had been regarded as the clear favorite heading toward November, benefiting from nearly two decades of consistent Democratic victories in statewide races. He formally launched his bid back in September, aiming for an unprecedented third term since Minnesota governors began serving four-year terms in the 1960s.

Explaining his decision, Walz said the demands of another campaign would distract him from what he sees as more pressing responsibilities. “In September, I announced that I would run for a historic third term as Minnesota’s Governor. And I have every confidence that, if I gave it my all, I would succeed in that effort,” Walz said in a statement.

He continued that, after extended reflection, he chose to step aside. “But as I reflected on this moment with my family and my team over the holidays, I came to the conclusion that I can’t give a political campaign my all,” he said.

Walz argued that his focus must remain on the fallout from the massive fraud investigation. “Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences.”

The scandal hanging over the administration involves widespread abuse of Minnesota’s social safety net. While estimates differ, authorities believe at least $1 billion was stolen, with First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson suggesting late last year that the figure could climb as high as $9 billion.

Investigators say the fraud was concentrated within segments of the state’s Somali community, where sham nonprofit organizations were allegedly created to siphon state funds intended for homelessness services, food programs, and childcare assistance. To date, prosecutors have brought charges against more than 90 individuals.

Republicans quickly seized on Walz’s exit. “Good riddance,” said House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota.

Walz’s departure opens the field for a crowded race. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is widely viewed as the leading Democrat who could enter the contest. If she does, she would join several sitting senators from both parties who are seeking governorships elsewhere, including Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Michael Bennet of Colorado.

Klobuchar, reelected in 2024, is not scheduled to face voters again for her Senate seat until 2030. National Democrats had hoped to aggressively challenge Republicans in the 2026 midterms, defending only 13 Senate seats compared with the GOP’s 22. That strategy has been complicated by retirements in states such as New Hampshire, Michigan, and Minnesota, where Sen. Tina Smith has announced she will not run again. With Republicans holding a 53–47 Senate majority and only a handful of competitive GOP seats in places like Maine and North Carolina, Democrats already face a narrow path.

Other Democrats rumored to be weighing a gubernatorial bid include Attorney General Keith Ellison and Secretary of State Steve Simon. On the Republican side, possible contenders include My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell and Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth.

In recent months, Walz had been traveling extensively, hosting town halls and appearances nationwide following Kamala Harris’ loss in the presidential race, a move seen as an effort to raise his national profile after serving as her running mate in 2024.

In announcing his withdrawal, Walz also took aim at President Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Minnesota over the welfare fraud revelations. “I won’t mince words here. Donald Trump and his allies – in Washington, in St. Paul, and online – want to make our state a colder, meaner place,” Walz said. “They want to poison our people against each other by attacking our neighbors.”

He went further, accusing Republicans and conservative activists of reckless behavior. “We’ve got Republicans here in the legislature playing hide-and-seek with whistleblowers. We’ve got conspiracy theorist right-wing YouTubers breaking into daycare centers and demanding access to our children,” Walz said. “We’ve got the President of the United States demonizing our Somali neighbors and wrongly confiscating childcare funding that Minnesotans rely on.”

Walz concluded his remarks with a stark warning about the tone of the debate. “It is disgusting. And it is dangerous.”

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth says he is issuing a formal censure letter to Senator Mark Kelly and has ordered the Navy to review the retired captain’s rank and retirement pay over a “seditious” video in which Kelly and other Democrats urged troops to refuse “illegal orders.” The censure will be placed in Kelly’s […]

Nicolas Maduro, the dethroned Venezuelan dictator indicted on major drug trafficking and weapons charges in the United States, was transferred to federal court in New York Monday for his arraignment, days after American forces captured him in his own presidential palace. Footage showed federal authorities transferring a handcuffed Maduro from a helicopter to an armored […]

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota announced on Monday that he’s dropping his bid for a third term as governor, amid stinging criticism of the unsuccessful 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee’s handling of his state’s massive welfare assistance fraud scandal. “The political gamesmanship we’re seeing from Republicans is only making that fight harder to win,” Walz […]

President Donald Trump on Sunday told reporters that U.S. officials have determined that Ukraine did not target a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack last week, disputing Kremlin claims that Trump had initially greeted with deep concern. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week said Ukraine launched a wave of […]

In every industry- nonprofit, retail, real estate, healthcare, education- brands are fighting for one thing: attention. But attention alone has never built a business. It’s the brands people remember, the ones that stay in their minds long after the scroll, swipe, or click, that truly grow. This is exactly what Jewish Ad Group (JAG) focuses […]

UNIFIL troops reportedly tried to down an IDF drone in Meiss el-Jabal, southern Lebanon.

TRUMP: We have taken in, and will soon be receiving, more them 600 Billion Dollars in Tariffs, but the Fake News Media refuses to talk about it because they hate and disrespect our Country, and want to interfere with the upcoming Tariff decision, one of the most important ever, of the United States Supreme Court.

IDF Spokesperson in Arabic Avichay Adraee issued evacuation orders for multiple structures in southern Lebanon.

BREAKING: William DeFoor, 26, has been charged after attempting to break into Vice President JD Vance’s Ohio home, allegedly using a hammer to smash windows.

A shul in Beitar Illit has posted a striking new notice warning mispallelim to silence their phones before entering for davening — or face a financial penalty.

The sign, which appeared over the past week at the Breslover shul Kollel Chatzos – Nachalas Yehoshua, a central shteibelach-style venue hosting early-morning Shacharis minyanim, states that anyone whose phone rings during davening will be required to pay a 50-shekel fine to the shul‘s fund.

According to the posted notice, “Anyone entering to daven in this beis medrash does so on the condition that their cellphone is switched to silent mode. If a cellphone rings during the davening, the owner must pay a fine of 50 shekels to the shul fund.”

The notice further adds that charging phones in the building is prohibited throughout the day unless the device is set to silent.

A gabbai explained the move, saying that while reminders to turn off phones have long been standard in shuls, enforcement has slipped in recent times, leading to repeated disruptions. “It has become a real disturbance to the mispallelim,” he said. “Just last week, during a single minyan, phones rang three separate times in the middle of tefillah. We felt it was time to awaken the public to the issue.”

While similar measures have been adopted in the past by other communities, the sums involved were typically modest, often between 10 and 18 shekels. The newly announced 50-shekel fine marks a significantly tougher stance.

{Matzav.com}

A suspect has been arrested after windows were smashed at the private home of VP J.D. Vance in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nobody was in the residence when the attack occurred.

A Hamas terrorist planning an imminent attack on IDF troops in southern Gaza was precisely targeted in accordance with the ceasefire a short while ago.