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Fox News host Sean Hannity is reassuring viewers that he is recovering well after widespread online speculation about his health prompted questions over changes in his appearance during recent broadcasts.

In a post shared Wednesday on X shortly before his nightly television program aired, Hannity explained that the issue stemmed from a neck injury he suffered while exercising, not from any serious underlying medical condition.

“Thanks to everyone who has checked in. I’ve already addressed this several times on my radio show, but while training, I developed a painful pinched nerve in my neck,” Hannity wrote on the social platform X before his weeknight primetime show on the network aired. “My doctor put me on prednisone to reduce the inflammation, and while it’s helping, it led to laryngitis and some puffiness, which is normal for this medication.”

The longtime broadcaster said he continues to improve and has not slowed down despite the temporary side effects of the treatment. He also poked fun at the amount of attention the issue has generated online.

The conservative commentator said he is “fine, recovering well, and still training,” and he joked that “a few weeks of prednisone has generated more social media commentary than 30 years of ratings success.”

Hannity also thanked those who reached out with words of encouragement, while jokingly acknowledging that some of his critics may have hoped the news was more serious.

“I appreciate all the concern and well wishes—including from members of the left-wing media,” the host continued. “Sorry to disappoint them, but a pinched nerve, a raspy voice, and a puffy face aren’t taking me out anytime soon.”

His statement followed several days of online commentary from critics who had mocked the noticeable swelling in his face and neck during recent television appearances.

Among them was comedian Josh Johnson of “The Daily Show,” who made light of Hannity’s appearance.

“I’m sorry but what is going on with Sean Hannity’s face,” Josh Johnson, a comedian on “The Daily Show,” joked this week. “I mean, I have never seen white cheeks that big that haven’t been rapped about.”

Now 64, Hannity remains one of Fox News’ longest-tenured personalities and one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent media allies.

In addition to hosting his nightly Fox News program, Hannity also anchors a nationally syndicated weekday radio show and recently launched a podcast that regularly features Trump administration officials and other allies of the president.

In an unprecedented move, Yeshivas Mir—the world’s largest yeshivah—will suspend its regular learning schedule on Sunday as thousands of talmidim gather for a massive public tefillah rally in response to the continued imprisonment of one of the yeshivah‘s talmidim in Military Prison 10.

The extraordinary gathering will begin at precisely 12:15 p.m., when all the batei medrash of the yeshivah will empty as the thousands of lomdim proceed to Kikar Zvhil and along Rechov Shmuel Street in Yerushalayim. The rally will be led by the roshei yeshivah.

Organizers said the gathering will conclude promptly at 1:00 p.m., coinciding with the end of the morning seder.

The decision to hold the unprecedented public assembly was made by Mir Rosh Yeshivah Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel after consulting with Maranan Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch in light of the talmid‘s ongoing detention.

The rally marks a highly unusual step for the Mir, reflecting the growing concern throughout the olam haTorah over the continued arrests of bnei yeshivah.

Because thousands of participants are expected to fill the streets surrounding the yeshivah, significant traffic disruptions and heavy congestion are anticipated along Shmuel Hanavi and throughout the surrounding area during the rally.

Organizers said details regarding road closures and changes to public transportation routes will be released in the coming days.

{Matzav.com}

Over the last few years, an ongoing challenge has become apparent within the STa”M industry. Many completely well-intentioned buyers, who assume they are purchasing 100% kosher scrolls, are finding themselves uncertain about how to verify what is actually coming into their homes. 

This challenge is not a matter of klaf simply degrading over time, but rather a structural vulnerability in how STa”M is produced and distributed globally. Rabbi Moshe Elefant, COO of OU Kosher, recently shared an encounter that illustrates this exact issue. A professional sofer checking mezuzos in Lakewood, New Jersey, visited a large residence where the homeowner had spared no expense. Shockingly, every single one of the mezuzos in the home was found to be completely pasul, and they had been pasul from the moment they were written. The homeowners had acted with complete sincerity and spent significant sums, but they didn’t get the kosher mezuzos they had purchased.  

Writing a kosher mezuzah is an intricate, labor-intensive process governed by complex halachos. As Rabbi Ezra Sarna, Director of Halacha Initiatives at the Orthodox Union, explains, the margin for error is tremendous. “Each mezuzah contains over 700 letters, along with multiple other components. In many cases, if even one is off, the entire mezuzah can be pasul.” Furthermore, even if the klaf appears perfectly written, it could still be disqualified due to a sofer’s lack of knowledge or improper kavanah during the writing process – factors that are impossible to verify simply by looking at the finished product. 

Without a centralized quality assurance process, the market is continually flooded with varying qualities of mezuzos that have sadly not been written or checked k’halacha. Buyers are left in the dark, wondering who they can rely on, asking themselves if the bodek is truly reliable, or if the inspection was performed independently of the sofer who wrote the klaf. 

Recognizing this growing communal need, the lay leadership of the Orthodox Union stepped in a few years ago. They turned to the OU’s Kashrus department, the community’s trusted experts in systematic certification, to develop a proactive, long-term solution. The result is the OU STa”M Pikuach Initiative which works with multiple partners and vendors to bring confidence to your doorpost.  

The core vision is straightforward: the OU is doing for STa”M exactly what it has historically done for kosher food. For decades, the frum community has trusted the OU symbol to ensure the highest standards of kashrus in our kitchens. Now, that same level of trust and rigorous oversight is available to protect the doorposts of our homes and shuls.

What does an OU-endorsed mezuzah entail? It replaces uncertainty with a verifiable system of checks and balances. The OU provides direct oversight, ensuring every mezuzah is written by a vetted, certified sofer who maintains active certification. The klaf and dyo (ink) are verified and approved as 100% kosher for mezuzah use. The thorough inspection system requires that a completed mezuzah is checked by a chain of two separate magiim (Mashgichim for STa”M). It is then inspected by rabbonim, examined once again by both magiim, and scanned by a cutting-edge, AI-powered computer program designed to detect even the slightest inaccuracies. Any issues raised during the checks are paskened on by rabbonim. 

Once a mezuzah passes this rigorous process and is deemed strictly kosher l’chatchila, it is packaged in a tamper-proof plastic sleeve bearing the “Endorsed by OU” logo. This provides consumers with unprecedented transparency. The packaging includes a certificate of authenticity detailing exactly who the sofer was, who the magiim were, what materials were used, and when the mezuzah requires its next checking.  

The OU STa”M Pikuach Initiative is committed to educating the frum community on the issues related to acquiring mezuzos confidently. There will be opportunities in communities across the US to learn more through shiurim and public lectures. OU-endorsed mezuzos are currently available for purchase through various trusted vendors. To learn more about this vital initiative and to find an authorized vendor near you, please visit ou.org/mezuzah. 

New York Attorney General Letitia James publicly criticized socialist Muslim New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his efforts to reshape the Democratic Party by backing a slate of democratic socialist candidates in statewide races, saying many of those he endorsed lack the experience and understanding needed to represent New York’s diverse communities.

In an interview with CNN, James voiced frustration over Mamdani’s political endorsements following his election victory last November, arguing that several of the candidates he supported are disconnected from the districts they hope to represent.

“Some of the candidates that he has supported are individuals who do not understand the politics of New York City, the cultural differences from district to district, who have not been part of the history and the struggle of some of these districts, and are relatively new to the body politic,” James told CNN.

The attorney general also contended that a number of Mamdani-backed candidates lack a sufficient understanding of issues involving race and economic inequality, according to the network.

Despite those criticisms, Mamdani’s influence was evident in this week’s Democratic primaries. Several candidates he endorsed scored victories, including Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier in congressional races, along with two successful campaigns for the state Senate and four wins in contests for the State Assembly.

James acknowledged that dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party is widespread but warned against pursuing sweeping ideological changes.

James said other political colleagues have expressed that they are “disappointed” in Mamdani’s push to change the party.

“All of us are a little frustrated with the Democratic Party. But you don’t blow it up. That’s what MAGA has done,” James told CNN.

Mamdani’s growing political influence has also prompted concern among some Democrats, who worry his endorsements could strain relationships with members of Congress, business leaders, investors, and other influential figures across New York.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, however, dismissed suggestions that the Democratic Party is drifting too far to the left because of Mamdani’s rise.

“No, Donald Trump has a working relationship with the mayor of the city of New York, and he’s made that publicly and explicitly clear to America not once but twice in the Oval Office,” Jeffries said to reporters when asked if the party was moving too far left after Tuesday’s primary results.

President Donald Trump and Mamdani met at the White House in both February and November, surprising many observers. Photographs from the meetings showed the two shaking hands and smiling despite their political differences.

Even so, Trump weighed in on the primary results Wednesday with a post on Truth Social, offering a pointed warning about the direction of American politics.

“America the Beautiful will NEVER be a Communist Country!!!” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Federal officials are sounding the alarm after a series of politically charged acts of vandalism struck Washington’s National Mall, including repeated “8647” markings, damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and a disturbing incident in which a person allegedly wrote on the Washington Monument using their own blood.

Interior Department Communications Director Katie Martin told Fox News Digital that authorities have seen a sharp increase in attacks on federal landmarks throughout the summer.

“Unfortunately, this summer has seen a significant increase in vandalism to the National Mall – for example, several 8647 markings, a person writing words in their own blood on the Washington Monument and the cutting of fuel lines around the Great American State Fair,” Interior Department communication director Katie Martin told Fox News Digital.

The latest incidents followed President Donald Trump’s initiative to restore and repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. According to officials, protesters responded by damaging the newly restored surface, cutting into it with sharp objects and removing protective fencing before throwing debris into the water.

Fox News Digital reported that the first known act of vandalism targeting the Reflecting Pool occurred on June 9. At the time, Interior Department officials deliberately chose not to publicize the incident, hoping it would remain an isolated act rather than inspire additional copycats.

“At the time of the June 9 incident, the vandalism was under investigation and believed to be isolated. So as not to encourage deranged individuals, we did not announce what we hoped to be an isolated incident,” Interior Department communication director Katie Martin told Fox News Digital about the initial vandalism on the Reflecting Pool.

“It wasn’t until several days thereafter that there were recurring cases and videos of people ripping at the coating began to circulate,” she added. “We then knew this was not an isolated incident, but a new trend to attempt to damage the Reflecting Pool.”

Among the incidents now under investigation are multiple “8647” messages found throughout the National Mall. In a separate case, police say an individual used his own blood to write the words “I’ve come” on the Washington Monument.

The Trump administration has previously interpreted the number “86” as a political threat because of its common use in restaurant slang to mean eliminating or refusing service, while “47” is viewed as a reference to President Trump serving as the nation’s 47th president.

Earlier this month, authorities also launched an investigation after an enormous “8647” message appeared carved into the grass of the National Mall, adding to growing concerns over politically motivated vandalism and threats against public property.

Officials said the Reflecting Pool itself was vandalized on the very day it reopened following restoration. According to a police report obtained by Fox News Digital, the suspect left “razor-blade-like slashes along the liner in the southern middle section of the pool.”

Investigators determined that the damage extended for more than 300 feet, with “some cuts [that] were slits while other sections measuring roughly 6–15 inches had been cut out entirely.”

Authorities also reported that sections of the surrounding metal fence were removed and tossed into the Reflecting Pool, along with a broken black chain that had been attached to the fencing.

The U.S. Park Police later released a photograph of one suspect and appealed to the public for help identifying the individual.

“The United States Park Police is seeking assistance in identifying the individual depicted here in connection with a Destruction of Government Property investigation. The incident occurred on June 19, 2026, at approximately 3:36 p.m. at the Reflecting Pool on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC,” said the post.

“Anyone with information regarding the identity of this individual is asked to contact the United States Park Police Tip Line: USPP_TIPline@nps.gov or (202) 379-4877,” it read.

President Trump weighed in on the vandalism Wednesday by posting a photograph of the newly restored Reflecting Pool on Truth Social before it was refilled with water.

“This is the hard rubber surface — No Paint — Before the Vandals cut and pulled it apart,” he wrote.

According to a previous administration official, five individuals have already been arrested on vandalism charges related to the Reflecting Pool, while another five people received federal citations. Authorities have also filed 14 separate police reports involving damage to the site.

Among those charged is former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who received a misdemeanor citation for destruction of government property after authorities alleged he reached into the Reflecting Pool and grabbed a hose being used by a National Park Service employee.

The administration had already planned to install fencing around the Reflecting Pool before the Fourth of July because the area serves as one of the launch locations for the annual fireworks display. However, officials accelerated that timetable by a full week following the repeated acts of vandalism.

“The Reflecting Pool was always set to be fenced off ahead of the 4th of July. As in years prior, one of the launch pads for the fireworks is around the pool so fencing is put up to ensure public safety,” said White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers. “With the increase in vandalism by leftist activists, the fencing is going up earlier than originally planned to ensure no more damage is done to this historic site.

“While the President was restoring a crown jewel of our nation’s capital, which is supported by Americans across the country, vandals were attempting to destroy, impede and delay the ongoing work,” she added.

President Trump has repeatedly condemned the attacks, first drawing attention to the damage in a Truth Social post last Friday before discussing the incidents again with reporters this week.

“Somebody went in with the knife and cut it. They cut it up good and then they cut at 200, 350 [feet], in the form of lots of little slits. We know horrible stuff,” Trump said Tuesday while speaking with reporters.

Referring to the large “8647” marking carved into the National Mall, Trump added: “Vandals “destroyed the grass. We put a brand-new big load of grass out there. They destroyed it. So it’s all been fixed. But it’s a shame.”

Throughout the restoration project, demonstrators have continued gathering at the National Mall, with some carrying signs reading “Team Algae,” a reference to the Reflecting Pool’s water.

{Matzav.com}