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US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said he expects GDP to exceed 5% in the first quarter of 2026.

The search for dozens of people reported missing after a massive fire at a shopping plaza in Pakistan’s largest city entered a fourth day Tuesday, with the death toll rising to 28 after five more bodies were recovered, officials said. Rescuers reached some of the most badly damaged sections in the multistory Gul Plaza in […]

On the eve of the first anniversary of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, new figures spotlight the scale of the administration’s immigration enforcement, even as Trump publicly praised what he described as a year of major accomplishments. An analysis highlighted by The New York Times reports that roughly 540,000 immigrants have been removed during Trump’s first year back in office.

According to the breakdown, about 230,000 individuals were arrested and deported from within the United States, approximately 270,000 were expelled after being caught at the border, and around 40,000 opted to accept financial assistance to leave voluntarily under a self-deportation program.

Taken together, those categories put the total number of removals at an estimated 540,000 since Trump returned to the White House.

“The number of deportations from interior arrests since Mr. Trump took office is already higher than the total during the entire four years of the Biden administration,” the Times analysis read. “It offers the clearest measure of the impact of Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown and expansive efforts to fulfill his campaign promise to deport millions of people.
“At the same time, the number of people trying to cross the Southwest border has fallen to record lows. As a result, far fewer people were arrested and deported from the border than in the preceding few years.”

Separate data released by Department of Homeland Security in December pointed to even larger overall numbers, stating that more than 2.5 million immigrants had departed the country amid the administration’s enforcement push. That total included an estimated 1.9 million self-deportations alongside more than 622,000 formal deportations.

“In less than a year, President Trump has delivered some of the most historic and consequential achievements in presidential history — and this administration is just getting started,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are making America safe again and putting the American people first. In record-time we have secured the border, taken the fight to cartels, and arrested thousands upon thousands of criminal illegal aliens. Though 2025 was historic, we won’t rest until the job is done.”

The DHS summary also laid out several headline indicators, including a steep year-over-year drop in border crossings, a sharp decline in daily apprehensions at the Southwest border, seven consecutive months in which Border Patrol released no migrants into the country, and a total number of apprehensions far below averages recorded during the prior administration.

Republican leaders echoed that message. “Just one year into his second term, President Trump has delivered more results for the American people than any president in history,” said Joe Gruters, chair of the Republican National Committee. “He’s reversing the damage of Biden’s far-left agenda by bringing prices down, unleashing American energy, securing the border, and rebuilding our military.
“Families are finally getting relief, our communities are safer, and America is respected again on the world stage. President Trump is putting America first every single day, and this is only the beginning — the best is still ahead.”

Independent analyses have pointed to a concurrent decline in the population living in the country without legal status. A report from the Congressional Budget Office estimated that number fell by roughly 360,000 over the past year, while research from the Brookings Institution suggested the overall foreign-born population may have dropped by as many as 295,000.

These developments come amid demonstrations in Minnesota, where leftist “agitators” have protested Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.

“In Minnesota, there is too much media attention on ICE, who have removed some of the worst murderers and criminals in the World, people let into our Country by Crooked Joe Biden’s horrendous Open Border Policy, and not enough attention paid to the staggering sums of money stolen from the State by corrupt Minnesota politicians!” Trump wrote Monday in a Truth Social post.

{Matzav.com}

A little-known U.S. Navy base on the Chesapeake Bay may have played a far more extraordinary role than previously understood, according to a new report that claims an unidentified craft of “unknown origin” has been secretly stored and studied there for decades as part of classified military programs. The base, Naval Air Station Patuxent River […]

Guards from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces abandoned a camp Tuesday in northeast Syria housing thousands of people linked to the Islamic State group, and the Syrian military said that allowed the detainees to escape. Hours later, the Syrian government and the SDF announced a new four-day truce after a previous ceasefire between government forces […]

President Donald Trump this afternoon that U.S. intelligence agencies believe they have identified where the body of Israeli soldier St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili is being held in the Gaza Strip, speaking during a press conference in Washington, DC.

“We got the 28 hostages; they have one left, that we think we know where it is. Amazing,” Trump said.

Gvili is believed to be the final Israeli hostage still in Gaza. He was taken on October 7 during fierce fighting at Kibbutz Alumim, where he was battling Hamas terrorists as part of the IDF’s Golani Brigade.

In a December interview with Ma’ariv, Gvili’s mother, Talik, shared information she said was based on intelligence assessments. “The intelligence is that Ran was not killed on the spot,” she said.

“We know he was wounded in the heroic battle at Kibbutz Alumim, hit by a bullet in his hand and shoulder area. Intelligence believes he didn’t receive medical treatment and therefore didn’t survive,” she added.

{Matzav.com}

Habochur Naftali Tzvi Kramer z”l, an 18-year-old talmid from the Satmar Yeshiva in Komemiyus, was killed in a horrific traffic accident while returning from a protest against post-mortem examinations.

Naftali Tzvi, a resident of Yerushalayim, was struck at the entrance to Moshav Komemiyus as he was making his way back to the yeshiva together with fellow bochurim. He passed away just weeks before his 18th birthday.

According to details released for publication, the accident occurred on Route 3533. Witnesses reported that a Metropoline bus transporting chareidi girls was traveling at high speed. Students walking along the side of the road stated that the bus struck Naftali Tzvias they were proceeding together on the shoulder. However, authorities have not established clear evidence that the driver acted intentionally.

Askani Shimon Shisha, together with ZAKA volunteers, has been working to ensure that the body is released without being transferred to the forensic institute.

Naftali Tzvihad returned from a protest opposing autopsies, which he attended in accordance with the directives of his rabbanim.

Naftali Tzvi was born in Yerushalayim on 27 Shevat 5768 to his father, Reb Yissachar Dov Kramer, a respected Satmar chassid, and his mother, Mrs. Bracha Beila Kramer, daughter of Rav Menashe Gottlieb. He was raised in a home steeped in Torah and chassidus.

He studied at the Satmar Talmud Torah in Yerushalayim, continued on to the Yeitev Lev Satmar Yeshiva L’tzeirim, and later joined the Satmar Yeshiva Gedolah, Yeitev Lev D’Rabbeinu Yoel, in Komemiyus.

Friends described him as an elevated and refined young man, devoted to avodas Hashem and meticulous in his conduct. “He would spend a full hour preparing himself before tefillah, with seriousness and focus,” one friend said. “He was noble, gentle, and always greeted others with a warm smile.”

Just a month ago, Naftali Tzviwas seen davening Shacharis alongside Rav Chaim Tzvi Teitelbaum, son of the Satmar Rebbe, during a visit to the yeshiva for the inauguration of a new mikvah.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump is escalating his pressure campaign on Europe, threatening to slap 200% tariffs on French wine and champagne after France declined to join his newly created Board of Peace. France was among dozens of countries invited last week to join the board, which was initially conceived to oversee postwar governance and reconstruction in […]

Rabbi Moshe Itach, a father of three who heads an educational framework for children with high-functioning autism, described the terrifying hours he endured after learning that his young son had been present at the Yerushalayim daycare where a fatal incident unfolded. Speaking with Kan Moreshet, he recounted how the family struggled to locate their child amid widespread confusion.

“My wife called me in the middle of the day to say there had been an incident at our son’s nursery and that six children had been taken to hospital. We didn’t know who had taken them, where they were taken, or what condition our child was in,” he said. For roughly two hours, the family went from hospital to hospital across the city, desperate for answers.

“Those were two hours of complete uncertainty. You hear rumors, people are talking about infants in serious condition, and you don’t know where your child is. In the end, we discovered he was at Shaare Zedek. Thank God, he’s fine,” Itach added, expressing visible relief.

Even as he spoke of his own son’s safety, Itach emphasized the broader national grief that followed the incident. “Yesterday, Klal Yisroel lost two children. It’s an unimaginable tragedy. It’s hard even to think about it. There are no words that can comfort parents who have lost an infant,” he said.

Responding to criticism directed at the daycare’s employees, Itach said he felt compelled to speak up on their behalf. “I know the head teacher, the caregivers, and the assistants. These are devoted women who chose this profession out of a sense of mission – not out of necessity. My son was happy to go to the nursery and happy to come home. That is not something to be taken for granted.”

He also pointed to structural problems that place families and caregivers in an untenable position. “The state makes staffing difficult, the pay is low, and parents – especially young couples studying in yeshiva – are often forced to choose between cost and safety. It’s an impossible situation,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, Itach called on parents to engage in honest self-examination. “Every father and mother needs to ask themselves: Where am I sending my child in the morning? Is this a place I can truly trust? This isn’t about blame. It’s about responsibility.”

{Matzav.com}

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a bombing at a Chinese restaurant in Afghanistan’s capital that killed at least seven people, including a Chinese national, and wounded more than a dozen others. The group said in a statement posted on its Aamaq news agency late Monday that a suicide bomber entered the restaurant […]

Israel’s defense establishment believes Hamas is accelerating efforts to rebuild its capabilities and recover from the damage inflicted over two years of fighting, according to Hebrew-language media reports Sunday citing senior security officials. The assessment, delivered in recent closed-door briefings to Israel’s political leadership, concludes that Hamas does not view Washington’s emerging post-war plan for […]

Another Rosh Chodesh morning at the Kosel unfolded amid tension and frustration, as regular mispallelim reported preferential treatment for a Reform women’s group, while hundreds of people were delayed or blocked from entering the plaza.

According to on-site reports, the arrival of the group that identifies itself as Women of the Wall created a charged atmosphere from the early morning hours. Journalist Nati Kalish, reporting live from the scene, said many mispallelim were forced to wait extended periods before being allowed into the plaza.

Kalish described unusually long security checks. “A line of at least an hour, and even more, in the morning cold,” he said, explaining that guards allowed mispallelim through one at a time while carefully inspecting every item. He claimed the delays were intentional, aimed at keeping the plaza relatively empty during the group’s prayer.

Much of the anger, according to the report, stemmed from how the Reform group was brought into the compound. “They go in first, bypass the line and simply enter,” Kalish said, adding, “It’s infuriating to see people in their 60s and 70s standing in the cold and waiting, while they walk straight through as if the place belongs to them.”

Witnesses also reported pushing and confrontations during the prayer itself. Accounts from the Lev Center said the group positioned itself near the partition, used loudspeakers, and prayed loudly. “The goal is one thing—to disrupt and to harm the sanctity of the Kosel,” Kalish said, adding that there were also incidents of violence directed at ushers.

Kalish reported that the group remained at the site for roughly an hour and a half to two hours before leaving under escort. “They’re treated with respect here,” he said, noting that only after their departure did services for regular mispallelim return to normal. Among other things, the coffee stand in the plaza was reportedly shut down while the group was present. “On Rosh Chodesh they don’t serve coffee to mispallelim out of fear of ‘unusual incidents.’ Only after they left did everything reopen.”

He also described the reaction of regular mispallelim . Many, he said, stood davening with their hands over their ears. “Hundreds of people are literally blocking their ears just so they can concentrate on tefillah and not hear the shouting,” Kalish said. He noted that about 100 yeshiva bochurim from abroad arrived later in the morning, singing and davening loudly, which largely drowned out the voices of the radical, controversial group.

The broadcast ended with a public call to attend the Kosel in large numbers next Rosh Chodesh, for the month of Adar. “The more Jews who come to daven, the less chance they’ll be able to get in,” the hosts said, calling the situation “a scandal that repeats itself every month” and urging those responsible for managing the site to intervene and safeguard the sanctity of the holy place.

{Matzav.com}

An image circulating online has become a symbol of the latest phase of Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters, showing a pile of abandoned shoes left behind after security forces set fire to a historic bazaar in the northern city of Rasht, trapping demonstrators inside. The photograph, taken after the Jan. 8 incident, depicts footwear scattered […]

President Trump on the Supreme Court preparing to rule on his sweeping tariffs: If we lose that case, it’s possible we’re going to have to do the best we can in paying it back.

TRUMP: “We added $9 trillion of value to retirement accounts, savings accounts, and 401(k)s… lifted more than 1.2 million Americans off of food stamps in one year.”

Following the tragedy in a Jerusalem daycare on Monday, in which two innocent babies died, there were shocking reactions to their deaths on online platforms, with some surfers going so far as to almost rejoice in the deaths—”two less Chareidim.” The reactions were so shocking that even Yair Lapid, himself a master of incitement against […]

The mother of Leah Goloventzitz a”h, who died in the tragic incident at a daycare in Romema, issued a public statement distancing her family from violent demonstrations linked to the debate over the proposed autopsy of her daughter’s body.

In a personal message addressed directly to the public, Brocha Goloventzitz wrote that the family is enduring an unbearable loss and, amid their grief, is also being forced to contend with rumors, interpretations, and misinformation circulating online and in public discourse.

She said that over the past 24 hours, the family’s tragedy has been tied to violent protests surrounding the intention to conduct an autopsy, stressing unequivocally that such actions do not reflect the family’s path or beliefs.

The mother emphasized that aside from those directly involved, no one truly knows the facts that led to Leah’s passing. She noted that the family has been exposed to headlines, images, and statements taken out of context, some of which are based on partial or incorrect information that does not represent the full reality.

Addressing the decision to oppose an autopsy, she wrote that the considerations and steps taken by the family after the incident are not known to the public. Those decisions, she said, were made only after thorough consultations and careful deliberation, including receiving information from police and medical professionals. She added that even the family itself does not yet know the complete picture, describing days without sleep or appetite as they struggle to understand what truly happened.

In closing, Leah’s mother appealed to the public to act with ahavas Yisroel, to halt the spread of unverified information, and to allow the family to mourn their devastating loss without the addition of unnecessary pain.

Earlier today, Israel’s High Court ruled that an autopsy would not be performed on the two toddlers who passed away.

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: FBI serves subpoenas to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in major investigation.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani: “I am in support of abolishing ICE. What we see is an entity that has no interest in fulfilling its stated reason to exist. We’re seeing a government agency that is supposed to be enforcing some kind of immigration law, but instead what it’s doing is terrorizing people no matter their […]

NYC: A significant winter storm is possible this weekend, though key details remain uncertain and could greatly impact the final forecast. Meteorologists are monitoring the potential for a plowable snowfall from Sunday into Monday, as a low-pressure system is expected to track south of the region. There is a moderate chance that snowfall totals could […]