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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., repeatedly called for the assassination of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now, after Graham’s sudden death, some are wondering if Putin got his wish first, Newsmax reports.

In March of 2022 Graham posted on X: “Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military? The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out. You would be doing your country – and the world – a great service.”

Asked about the matter later at a press conference, Graham urged the people of Russia to “rise up and end this reign of terror.”

“I hope he will be taken out, one way or the other. I don’t care how they take him out. I don’t care if we send him to The Hague and try him. I just want him to go,” said Graham during a press conference shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Among those raising the possibility of Putin’s involvement in Graham’s death is Russian opposition sociologist Igor Eidman, who argued that the Kremlin may have had both a motive and an opportunity to target the South Carolina Republican.

His comments, however, remain speculative.

Eidman pointed to Graham’s prominent role as one of Congress’ strongest advocates for Ukraine and one of Russia’s harshest critics.

According to Eidman, the senator’s continued push for increased military assistance to Kyiv and tougher sanctions against Moscow may have made him a target in the eyes of the Kremlin.

The opposition commentator also noted Graham’s recent visit to Ukraine, suggesting—without presenting evidence — that a hypothetical poisoning using a slow-acting substance could have occurred during the trip.

Eidman speculated that Russian intelligence services might have been capable of conducting such an operation through clandestine networks operating inside Ukraine.

He acknowledged that his theory was based on circumstantial considerations rather than direct proof.

No law enforcement agency, intelligence service, or government has publicly concluded that Russia played any role in Graham’s reported death. No forensic evidence, intercepted communications, witness testimony, or official intelligence assessments have been released supporting Eidman’s claims.

The allegations nevertheless draw attention to Graham’s yearslong confrontation with the Kremlin.

Throughout Russia’s war against Ukraine, Graham emerged as one of the most vocal proponents of expanded U.S. military assistance to Kyiv.

He repeatedly called for stronger sanctions on Russia and advocated providing increasingly sophisticated weapons systems to Ukraine.

According to Eidman, Graham had recently stated that President Donald Trump supported legislation imposing what Graham described as “hellish sanctions” against Russia.

Eidman argued that Russian officials may have viewed Graham as one of the key figures influencing Trump’s evolving approach toward Moscow.

Those assertions also remain speculative.

For years, Graham has been a frequent target of criticism from senior Russian officials and state media.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has repeatedly denounced Graham’s remarks as provocative and irresponsible.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, has also regularly attacked Graham on social media, accusing him of promoting escalation of the conflict.

Russian state television commentators have often portrayed Graham as one of Moscow’s principal political adversaries in Washington, criticizing his support for Ukraine and his calls for additional military assistance.

Following some of Graham’s previous remarks regarding Putin, Russian officials discussed possible legal action against the senator under Russian law and publicly condemned statements they characterized as encouraging violence or regime change.

Those exchanges contributed to Graham’s reputation inside Russia as one of the Kremlin’s most outspoken American critics.

Still, political hostility does not establish responsibility for his death.

Security analysts have long noted that Russia has been accused by Western governments of involvement in several poisonings and assassination attempts targeting Kremlin critics and defectors over the past two decades.

Moscow has consistently denied those allegations.

© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed creating a “Presumed Injury List” for COVID-19 vaccine claims, a move officials say could significantly simplify and accelerate the compensation process for people who suffer certain recognized adverse reactions after vaccination.

The proposal, announced Friday by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., would establish a list of specific medical conditions that are presumed to have been caused by a COVID-19 vaccine if they occur within a defined period after vaccination. Claimants whose injuries fall within those criteria would no longer be required to prove that the vaccine caused their condition, dramatically reducing the burden of filing a successful claim.

Under the current system, individuals seeking compensation through the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP) must present medical evidence establishing a causal link between the vaccine and their injury—a process that critics have long argued is difficult, time-consuming, and often unsuccessful.

If adopted, the Presumed Injury List would function similarly to the Vaccine Injury Table used by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), which covers many routine childhood vaccines and allows certain injuries to qualify automatically if they occur within established medical timeframes.

HHS said the proposed policy is intended to make the compensation process more predictable, transparent, and accessible while ensuring that individuals with well-documented vaccine-related injuries receive compensation more quickly.

The department has not yet released a finalized list of injuries that would qualify under the proposal. Instead, HHS said the list would be developed based on scientific and medical evidence and would be updated as additional data becomes available.

The announcement marks one of the most significant proposed changes to the federal government’s handling of COVID-19 vaccine injury claims since the vaccines became available during the pandemic.

The proposal will undergo a public comment period before any final policy is adopted. During that time, HHS is expected to solicit input from physicians, scientists, patient advocacy organizations, vaccine manufacturers, and members of the public.

Supporters of the proposal argue that recognizing well-established vaccine injuries will provide faster assistance to those affected while strengthening confidence in the compensation system. Others are expected to closely scrutinize which medical conditions are ultimately included on the presumed injury list and the scientific standards used to determine eligibility.

No timeline has yet been announced for when the Presumed Injury List could take effect if the proposal is finalized.

Rabbi Moshe Wiener, executive director of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island, was planning a community gathering in response to a July 4 mass shooting in Coney Island, in which eight members of the same non-Jewish family were wounded, when he heard from City Hall.

Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York City and a frequent critic of Israel whom many Jewish leaders have decried as an antisemite, wanted to attend.

“He’s still the mayor of the city of New York, and we have to show respect,” Wiener told JNS. “He wants to do the right thing for the city of New York, and whether we agree or disagree with his policies, the best that we can do as a social service agency is try to impress upon and educate him to the greatest extent possible of what works, what’s needed, what unmet needs there are.”

One of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island’s programs that aims to curb violence is Operation H.O.O.D. (Helping Our Own Develop).

“I hope that he’ll agree and support initiatives that will make a positive change in the lives of the residents of the city,” Wiener said of the mayor.

“It was really extraordinary that he stayed there for the full hour-and-a-half,” said the rabbi, who is part of the Chabad movement but doesn’t hold an official or leadership role. “He was very, very compassionate. It was very impressive the way that he interacted with them.”

Mamdani even “stayed the extra time” at the end of the event to “talk to them and comfort them and encourage them,” Wiener said, of the shooting victims’ family members.

Wiener used the community gathering to urge the mayor and lawmakers to invest in violence prevention, trauma recovery and vocational training.

“Law enforcement is indispensable,” he said in his public remarks at the gathering. “Violence interruption is indispensable. Families are indispensable. Schools are indispensable. Faith communities are indispensable. Each has a unique responsibility that no one else can fulfill.”

Wiener asked the city to revive plans for a long-delayed vocational training center in Coney Island. Stable employment is one of the strongest long-term prevention tools, he said.

“City-owned property at Surf Avenue and West 28th Street was designated” for the site more than 25 years ago, he said at the gathering. “Then circumstances changed.”

The rabbi cited frozen land-use approvals and canceled funding and called for funding to be renewed. “That dream should not remain unfinished,” he said at the event.

He also called for permanent funding for H.O.O.D’s trauma recovery center, which relies on annual New York City Council appropriations.

“May the tragic shootings that have brought us together today become more than moments of grief,” he told attendees.

Wiener told JNS that he entered social services work 45 years ago, after seeking a rabbinic position in education.

What began with one contract in an office that “was a large closet in the local Jewish Y” has grown into a citywide organization with nearly 400 employees providing services across New York City’s five boroughs, he said. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of New Jersey families who qualify for the state’s Child Tax Credit will soon have a faster and simpler way to apply, thanks to a new online platform unveiled by Gov. Mikie Sherrill.

The new website, called SimpleFile, is designed to help lower-income households quickly apply for New Jersey’s refundable Child Tax Credit, making the process easier for residents who may not normally file tax returns.

“Navigating tax season can be overwhelming for many families. SimpleFile provides a clear, convenient way to apply for the Child Tax Credit, particularly for low-income residents not required to file taxes,” said State Treasurer Aaron Binder. “Our goal is for every eligible family to apply for and receive this vital benefit.”

State officials also announced that the maximum Child Tax Credit will increase from $1,000 this year to as much as $1,250 next year. Approximately 200,000 families have already claimed the credit, and those who have not yet filed this year may still be eligible to receive the benefit.

Under the program, eligible New Jersey residents can claim a refundable Child Tax Credit on their NJ-1040 tax return for each qualifying child who is 5 years old or younger. The credit can reduce the amount of tax owed and may also increase a taxpayer’s refund.

To qualify for the credit, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a New Jersey resident for all or part of the tax year.
• Have a valid Social Security number or Tax Identification Number.
• Be eligible to claim the child as a dependent.
• Have a qualifying child who is age 5 or younger by the end of the tax year.
• Have taxable income of $80,000 or less.
• File as single, married or civil union filing jointly, head of household, qualifying widow(er), or surviving civil union partner.

Eligible residents can submit an application through the new SimpleFile website at NJ.gov.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has long accused Israel of “genocide,” compared the Jewish state with Sudan and Russia in a statement.

“One might have hoped that, after thousands of years of war, humanity could have come up with a better way to resolve conflicts than killing and mass destruction,” the Jewish senator said. “Unfortunately, that is not the case. There is now more war and bloodshed raging across the world than at almost any point in decades.”

In a statement ostensibly about “civil war and genocide in Sudan,” Sanders noted Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine “without provocation” and what he said is “genocide” in Gaza.

“In October 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 innocent people and taking 251 hostages,” he said. “In response, Netanyahu and the Israeli military did not simply wage war against Hamas. They waged war against the entire population of Gaza.”

He accused the Jewish state of destroying “virtually the entire physical infrastructure of Gaza.”

Hamas is known to embed deliberately among the civilian population and to use it as human shields.

Five paragraphs into the statement about genocide in Sudan, Sanders finally mentioned Sudan, before pivoting to U.S. President Donald Trump. JNS

{Matzav.com}