Feed aggregator

Discover extraordinary rare seforim, historic manuscripts, and priceless pieces of Jewish heritage!

Sunday, November 8 | 1:00 PM ET

Browse the collection and place your bids!

https://www.genazym.com

The Trump administration is preparing to transform the way Americans interact with the federal government by introducing an artificial intelligence assistant capable of carrying out government-related tasks on behalf of individual citizens, according to Amy Gleason, acting administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Speaking Thursday at an event organized by the Digital Services Coalition, Gleason outlined plans to expand America.gov, the administration’s new centralized government services website, beyond its current role as an information portal. The long-term objective is to allow Americans to use AI to navigate federal agencies, complete administrative processes and monitor the progress of their requests through a personalized online dashboard.

“Right now, [America.gov] doesn’t give you any data that comes from outside the government. But the next step is an authenticated experience,” Gleason said.

“Then, the next step is an artificial intelligence agent [that is] actually going to do work for you, and you’ll have a dashboard, so you actually know what’s happening.”

The initiative stems from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on September 29, directing the General Services Administration, the National Design Studio and the Office of Management and Budget to establish a single digital gateway for federal government services.

America.gov currently operates primarily as an AI-powered chatbot, allowing visitors to ask questions and obtain answers drawn from information published across tens of thousands of federal government websites.

Unlike the more ambitious system envisioned by DOGE, the existing website does not require users to establish accounts and cannot submit applications, process transactions or independently complete government paperwork.

The administration’s development plan calls for integrating the platform with Login.gov, the federal government’s existing secure authentication system, allowing individuals to access personalized services after verifying their identities.

Federal agencies that operate services reaching more than 100,000 people annually are also expected to begin connecting those systems to the new portal, potentially allowing Americans to interact with multiple government departments through a single website.

Gleason acknowledged, however, that the administration faces significant obstacles in implementing the technology, particularly because many federal agencies continue to rely on outdated computer systems and lack sufficient technical personnel.

Gleason, who previously served with the U.S. Digital Service during the Obama administration, compared the current challenges to those encountered following the troubled rollout of HealthCare.gov in 2013, when federal officials discovered widespread weaknesses in government technology.

“USDS made healthcare.gov better and we realized that most government services were actually quite bad, and we needed to modernize them. We needed modern tech. We needed modern processes,” she said. “But now it’s starting to feel like 2014 again.”

She warned that agencies are finding it difficult to acquire modern technology, hire qualified specialists and establish appropriate security protections as artificial intelligence develops at a rapid pace.

“The agencies are really struggling to implement. They don’t have enough tech talent; they’re trying to procure things; and they’re trying to figure out, how do they adapt, make it secure, just how do they make this work,” Gleason said.

Those difficulties have been compounded by the departure of thousands of federal technology employees during DOGE’s government-wide workforce reduction campaign last year, leaving some departments with fewer experienced personnel to manage major modernization projects.

“Tools are hard to get in government. Agencies need partners that are thinking ahead,” Gleason said, cautioning that officials “can’t just chase every shiny object that comes around.”

The General Services Administration says America.gov already draws information from more than 29,000 government websites, providing a centralized way for Americans to locate federal programs and obtain guidance on matters such as Social Security, Medicare and passport renewals.

The White House has identified passport renewals and Medicare enrollment among the transactions it intends to make available directly through the portal. However, the administration has not announced a firm date for introducing the more advanced AI agent described by Gleason.

The executive order also establishes limits on which services must be incorporated. IRS tax filing, along with services operated by the Department of War and intelligence agencies, is excluded from the integration requirement. Existing methods of accessing government services are to remain available.

The push comes as Americans report declining satisfaction with federal services. According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s latest annual government study, overall satisfaction dropped 2.6 percent over the past year, with the Department of Health and Human Services recording a 4 percent decline, the largest among the agencies surveyed.

Other officials participating in Thursday’s discussion emphasized that technology alone will not resolve the government’s difficulties. Erica Evans, director of operations at the U.S. Digital Service, pointed to outdated development practices, while Commerce Department official Andi Fisher-Colwill called for changes to federal purchasing and budgeting procedures that would allow agencies to improve their systems continuously.

Gleason said individual agencies may ultimately require different approaches, with some developing their own technology and others relying on outside providers. She cited the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ creation of an Office of Health Technology and Products as one example of an agency establishing specialized technical leadership to oversee modernization.

For now, America.gov remains primarily an information service, while the administration works toward introducing secure account access and eventually AI systems capable of completing authorized government transactions for users.

President Donald Trump has announced plans to establish a massive international aviation and space exhibition in Florida, promising that the new American event will surpass the world’s leading air shows and become the largest gathering of its kind.

The proposed exhibition, named CapeWeek, is expected to make its debut in 2028 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, bringing together major aerospace manufacturers, commercial space companies, military aviation leaders and international industry representatives.

Trump unveiled the initiative Friday, November 6, as part of a broader effort to strengthen America’s position in the global aerospace industry and attract major international business opportunities to the United States.

The event is being developed with NASA and is intended to compete directly with established international aviation exhibitions, including the Paris Air Show in France, the Farnborough International Airshow in Britain and the Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates.

Those events regularly attract thousands of aerospace executives, engineers, military officials and government representatives, serving as major venues for aircraft demonstrations, commercial negotiations, defense contracts and announcements of new aviation technologies.

By establishing a comparable event on American soil, the Trump administration hopes to give U.S. aerospace companies a prominent international platform while showcasing the country’s technological capabilities in both aviation and space exploration.

Kennedy Space Center, located on Florida’s Space Coast, has played a central role in America’s space program for decades and continues to serve as a major launch site for NASA missions and commercial space operations.

The selection of the facility would allow organizers to highlight the increasingly close relationship between traditional aerospace manufacturing and the rapidly expanding commercial space industry.

Organizers have now confirmed that CapeWeek is scheduled for March 27 through April 2, 2028, with plans to make it an annual event capable of eventually attracting more than 500,000 visitors.

The exhibition will be staged around Kennedy Space Center’s historic 15,001-foot former space shuttle landing runway, which previously served as the return destination for NASA’s reusable orbiters.

The planned program will combine an international aerospace industry conference, commercial exhibitions, aircraft demonstrations and public events showcasing emerging technologies. Organizers also envision opportunities for manufacturers to introduce new products, negotiate business agreements and meet potential customers and investors.

CapeWeek is being developed through a public-private partnership involving NASA, the state of Florida, Space Florida and the event’s organizers.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman welcomed the initiative, saying Kennedy Space Center offers an appropriate setting to bring together the people developing the next generation of aviation and space technology with the public.

The announcement also comes amid tensions between Washington and Paris over international aerospace gatherings. In September, the White House urged American space companies to avoid a major global space summit in France organized by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Trump’s announcement coincided with NASA’s MAX POWER aerospace exhibition, held November 7 and 8 at Kennedy Space Center as part of celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary.

That event features demonstrations by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, displays of military and NASA aircraft, astronaut appearances and presentations highlighting advanced aerospace technology, including NASA’s experimental X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft.

CapeWeek is intended to build on that foundation on a much larger scale, establishing a permanent American competitor to the world’s most prominent international aviation and space exhibitions.

A federal judge has ordered New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration to comply with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement subpoena seeking information about homeless shelter residents who may be in the United States illegally and have criminal histories, rejecting the city’s objections that the request violates its sanctuary policies.

In a 12-page ruling issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan directed the city to cooperate with federal immigration authorities seeking identifying information, including names and dates of birth, of certain men residing at a Bronx homeless shelter.

The decision represents a significant legal setback for the Mamdani administration, which has opposed the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts and argued that federal authorities were improperly attempting to use subpoena powers to obtain information protected by New York City’s sanctuary laws.

Federal officials told the court that they are investigating whether individuals staying at the shelter are unlawfully present in the country and subject to removal. ICE agreed to narrow its request to residents accused of specified violent offenses rather than seek information about the shelter’s entire population.

As part of that arrangement, federal authorities consented to having a court-appointed special master review the relevant records and determine which individuals fall within the subpoena’s permitted scope.

“In light of the agency’s consent to the use of a special master, and deferring to the agency’s assessment that the records are relevant to its legitimate investigation, the Court thus concludes the subpoena concerns a matter which is material and relevant to the enforcement of the federal immigration laws,” Kaplan wrote.

The judge instructed the city and federal government to develop a plan for implementing the ruling within two weeks.

City Hall has not announced whether it intends to challenge the decision. Mamdani spokesperson Ivonne Rodriguez said the administration is “evaluating next steps” when asked about a possible appeal.

New York Attorney General Letitia James also indicated that her office was examining the ruling and considering whether to pursue further legal action.

“I’m familiar with the ruling and we’re reviewing the possibility of an appeal,” James said while attending the annual Somos conference in Puerto Rico.

The legal dispute began in August 2025, when ICE initially demanded identifying information for male residents at two city-operated shelters. New York officials refused, arguing that the request was excessively broad and lacked a legitimate investigative basis.

Federal authorities subsequently revised the subpoena several times, eventually concentrating on the Bruckner shelter at 825 East 141st Street in the Bronx. The facility, located in the Mott Haven neighborhood, was established to accommodate approximately 2,200 men and generated opposition from neighborhood residents and local elected officials when it opened.

During the court proceedings, the city maintained that ICE was conducting a “fishing expedition” and attempting to “leverage the federal administrative subpoena power to circumvent and undermine the City’s sanctuary city laws.” City attorneys also characterized the federal demand as “more political than investigatory.”

Kaplan rejected those arguments, finding that ICE had demonstrated a legitimate immigration enforcement purpose and that the city had failed to establish that producing the requested information would impose an unreasonable burden.

The ruling does not authorize ICE to obtain the names of every shelter resident. Instead, an independent special master will screen the records and restrict the information released to individuals with serious criminal histories.

Immigrant advocacy organizations have urged Mamdani to appeal, warning that compliance could establish a precedent for federal immigration authorities to obtain sensitive information from municipal agencies.

Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition and a political ally of Mamdani, condemned the federal government’s original demands.

“ICE’s opening demand was the name and date of birth of every man sleeping in city shelters. That is a dragnet, not an investigation,” he said. “The City must appeal, and City Hall and Albany must limit what shelters collect and keep about the people they serve. ICE cannot subpoena a record that does not exist.”

Mamdani has repeatedly criticized ICE operations in New York City and pledged to defend the city’s sanctuary policies, which restrict cooperation between municipal agencies and federal immigration enforcement.

Speaking at a rally in Puerto Rico earlier in the week, the mayor accused immigration authorities of conducting what he called a campaign of intimidation and violence, arguing that the midterm election results demonstrated growing public opposition to federal enforcement tactics.

“We have seen firsthand in New York City the devastation that ICE causes — bullets fired in our streets, family members disappeared, parents abducted, the life of a 5-year-old child placed into danger,” Mamdani said. “Our country must move forward from a chapter of terror and start with a chapter of humanity.”

His comments followed a controversial immigration enforcement operation in New York during which federal agents fired shots on a busy street at a minivan containing a young child.

The Mamdani administration has not announced whether it will appeal Kaplan’s decision. Under Friday’s order, the city and federal government have 14 days to submit their proposal for appointing and compensating the special master who will oversee the release of records.

Thousands of Chabad shluchim from across the globe gathered in Brooklyn on Thursday evening for a major session of the International Kinus Hashluchim, focusing on the growing security threats facing Jewish communities, the challenges of maintaining Jewish pride amid rising antisemitism, and the determination required to sustain Jewish outreach in difficult circumstances.

The gathering, held at the Major R. Owens Community Center, brought together shluchim serving communities around the world for an evening of personal accounts, practical guidance and encouragement. The closed-door session provided an opportunity for participants to discuss the challenges they encounter in their work, particularly in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks in Eretz Yisroel.

The program began with the recitation of Tehillim, led by Rabbi Mendel Rubin of Albany, New York, and Rabbi Mendel Lipskier of Sherman Oaks, California.

Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of the Kinus, opened the proceedings by emphasizing the importance of mutual support among shluchim, urging participants to recognize that their responsibilities extend beyond their own communities to helping colleagues facing difficulties.

“Look for a friend, look for someone who you can do a favor for, a fellow shliach in your area that needs a hug, that needs you to be there to support them,” Rabbi Kotlarsky told the gathering.

He also encouraged the participants to translate the inspiration of the convention into lasting improvements in their daily lives, particularly by strengthening their personal Torah learning and establishing regular chavrusas.

“What are we going to take home with us? What are the important ideas?” he asked.

Rabbi Baruch Hertz of Chicago subsequently addressed the gathering on behalf of the Vaad Rabbonei Lubavitch, sharing reflections on his father’s six decades of shlichus in London and the commitment that characterized his lifelong work.

One of the evening’s central presentations came from Rabbi Gil Yosef Leeds of Berkeley, California, who described the difficulties confronting Jewish students at the University of California, Berkeley, following October 7. Amid widespread anti-Israel demonstrations and incidents of intimidation, some students had become reluctant to publicly identify themselves as Jewish.

Rather than retreat in the face of hostility, Rabbi Leeds encouraged students to respond by strengthening their Jewish identity.

“Now is your time to be the proudest Jew,” Rabbi Leeds recalled telling students.

That approach, he explained, helped generate a wave of increased Jewish participation on campus, including a mezuzah campaign, daily opportunities to put on tefillin, expanded Torah learning programs and a large Shabbos gathering attended by approximately 500 students.

Other shluchim shared accounts of perseverance in building Jewish communities despite financial difficulties, bureaucratic obstacles and years of seemingly unsuccessful outreach.

Rabbi Yoav Arkish of Chadera, Eretz Yisroel, described his repeated efforts to secure appropriate facilities for his expanding community. After numerous unsuccessful attempts, he eventually obtained access to a 1,500-square-meter property for a nominal annual payment of just one shekel.

Rabbi Zelig Ashkenazi of Ekaterinburg, Russia, recounted his longstanding efforts to maintain contact with a young Jewish man, even after communication between them had broken down for an extended period. That individual, Rabbi Elijahu Shmorgun, ultimately established a Jewish family and became a Chabad shliach in Tallinn, Estonia.

Rabbi Shmorgun then addressed the gathering, offering a firsthand account of the lasting impact that even seemingly unsuccessful outreach efforts can have.

“Every message you send to a Jew, every phone call, every invitation, every act of kindness, it makes a difference,” he said. “Even if that person doesn’t answer, even if he drifts away, even if years go by and you don’t hear from him, it doesn’t disappear.”

He added, “Just as we never give up on another Jew, we must never give up on ourselves.”

Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor of Bangkok, Thailand, who has served as a shliach for more than 30 years, spoke about periods of uncertainty during his years of communal leadership and the importance of renewing his commitment to the Rebbe’s mission.

Security was another major subject of the evening, as Chabad centers around the world confront heightened threats while seeking to preserve the welcoming atmosphere that has long characterized their activities.

A video presentation by the Chabad World Association addressed measures that shluchim can implement to strengthen protection at their institutions without compromising their accessibility to Jewish visitors and community members.

Rabbi Yossi Groner of Charlotte, North Carolina, emphasized that security planning must now be regarded as an essential responsibility rather than an optional precaution.

“This is no longer a luxury,” Rabbi Groner said. “Rather, it’s a necessity which obligates us to act and to be proactive in the best of our ability.”

The security discussions followed meetings earlier in the week between Kinus organizers and senior NYPD officials, including representatives of the 71st and 77th Precincts, Brooklyn South and the department’s Counterterrorism Bureau. The meetings addressed police deployments, crowd management and protective arrangements surrounding the conference’s major gatherings in Crown Heights.

The annual Kinus, now in its 43rd year, has brought approximately 6,500 Chabad rabbonim from more than 100 countries to New York for several days of workshops, meetings and communal programs.

The conference is scheduled to reach its centerpiece on Sunday afternoon with a grand banquet expected to draw nearly 7,000 participants, bringing together shluchim and supporters from around the world.

PHOTOS (COLLIVE.com):

{Matzav.com}

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has issued a stern warning to Muslim immigrants who refuse to recognize Germany’s responsibility for the Holocaust, declaring that anyone unwilling to accept that fundamental principle has no place in the country.

Speaking Friday at a reception in Berlin honoring Jewish athletes associated with the Maccabiah Games, Merz addressed the growing threat of antisemitism in Germany and emphasized that the country’s obligation to confront its Nazi past applies to immigrants as well as native-born Germans.

“This historical responsibility of our country applies just as much to those who come here to Germany from Islamic countries,” Merz stated, as quoted by the dpa news agency. “And anyone who fails to abide by this must leave our country.”

The chancellor’s remarks followed an account from a basketball coach who described how Jewish athletes have become frightened to wear their red Maccabi training jackets in public. The jackets prominently display the Star of David, and the coach said players feared they could be targeted for violence simply because they were visibly Jewish.

Merz responded by invoking a historic 1985 speech delivered to the German parliament by then-President Richard von Weizsäcker on the 40th anniversary of the end of World War II. The address became a defining statement about Germany’s moral responsibility to remember the Nazi era and the murder of six million Jews.

“The young people are not responsible for what happened back then. But they are responsible for what becomes of it in history.”

Merz said that message remains relevant more than four decades later, particularly as Germany confronts antisemitic hostility among segments of its immigrant population.

“And that applies to German society as a whole. And I would add, given the current circumstances: that also applies to immigrants who come to Germany,” he said, referring to antisemitic offenses committed by Muslim migrants.

The chancellor’s warning comes amid alarming levels of antisemitism across Germany, where Jewish organizations have repeatedly expressed concern about the growing danger facing visibly Jewish residents.

Figures released by the German antisemitism monitoring organization RIAS show that 8,725 antisemitic incidents were recorded nationwide in 2025, an average of nearly 24 incidents every day. The total remained close to the previous year’s elevated level and was more than three times the number documented in 2022.

The report identified 178 physical assaults and 257 threats against Jews during 2025, along with four incidents classified as extreme violence. Approximately 68 percent of all recorded incidents involved antisemitism connected to Israel.

The figures also documented 1,744 gatherings at which antisemitic incidents occurred, reflecting the extent to which anti-Jewish hostility has appeared at public demonstrations and other events.

Among the incidents highlighted by researchers were Jewish community members being insulted and spat at outside a prayer room in Kehl, and a rabbi being shoved in a supermarket in front of his children.

Concerns about threats to Jewish leaders have also intensified following the recent sentencing of two men in Hamburg in connection with an Iranian-directed plot targeting prominent Jewish and pro-Israel figures.

A Danish citizen received an eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence for preparing attacks against individuals including Volker Beck, president of the German-Israeli Society, and Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. An Afghan national convicted of participating in the conspiracy was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

During Friday’s reception, Merz also emphasized the importance of allowing Jewish life to remain visible in Germany, saying the government must actively confront antisemitism wherever it appears rather than merely invoke the country’s historical obligations.

His remarks came ahead of commemorations marking the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the November 1938 Nazi pogrom during which synagogues, Jewish businesses and homes were attacked throughout Germany and Austria.

[Video below.] A Jewish man walking to shul for a Shabbos Sheva Brachos in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, was assaulted on Shabbos morning, prompting a response from Williamsburg Shomrim, the NYPD and Hatzalah. A suspect was taken into custody, and police are investigating whether the attack was motivated by antisemitism.

The incident occurred at approximately 8:40 a.m. on Shabbos, November 7, at the intersection of Heyward Street and Bedford Avenue, in the heart of Williamsburg’s large chassidishe community.

According to sources, the victim was making his way to shul when he encountered an individual who allegedly initiated a confrontation that escalated into a physical assault.

Surveillance footage reportedly captured the encounter, showing the suspect walking past the Jewish man and apparently spilling something on him. A confrontation followed, during which the victim appeared to defend himself before being assaulted.

Williamsburg Shomrim volunteers and officers from the NYPD’s 90th Precinct responded to the incident and apprehended the suspect. Hatzalah personnel were also dispatched and provided medical assistance to the victim.

The NYPD is examining the circumstances surrounding the confrontation to determine whether the victim was deliberately targeted because of his Jewish identity. Investigators are expected to review available surveillance footage and other evidence as they work to establish the sequence of events and the suspect’s motive.

The assault comes just days after another disturbing antisemitic incident in Williamsburg, where four school buses used to transport Jewish children were defaced with swastikas and hateful anti-Jewish and anti-Israel messages.

That vandalism was discovered Monday morning, November 2, near Bedford Avenue and Williamsburg Street West. The buses, associated with local Jewish educational institutions, were spray-painted with Nazi symbols and slogans including “Free Palestine” and “America First,” along with vulgar statements targeting Jews and Israel.

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force opened an investigation into the vandalism, with Williamsburg Shomrim assisting authorities in gathering information and surveillance footage.

The incidents have added to concerns over the safety of visibly Orthodox Jewish residents in Williamsburg, where thousands of families regularly walk to and from shul, yeshiva and other community institutions.

According to NYPD figures released earlier this year, anti-Jewish incidents accounted for approximately 53 percent of confirmed hate crimes in New York City through the end of September, despite Jews representing a much smaller share of the city’s population.

The latest assault is particularly troubling because it occurred on Shabbos morning, when residents were traveling on foot to attend davening and family celebrations.

{Matzav.com}

LISTEN:

​​For more info, email bitachon4life@gmail.com.

LISTEN:

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has signaled his support for plans to investigate President Donald Trump and members of his administration when Democrats take control of Congress in January, aligning himself with incoming House Oversight Committee Chairman Robert Garcia, who has warned Trump allies to “LAWYER UP.”

During an interview Friday on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” Jeffries confirmed that Democratic leaders are coordinating with members of the House Oversight and Judiciary committees to prepare investigations into alleged misconduct by administration officials.

The remarks came after Garcia issued a series of public warnings about the investigations Democrats intend to pursue, including possible wrongdoing involving the Trump family and senior White House officials.

NPR co-host Leila Fadel pressed Jeffries on whether he supported Garcia’s aggressive approach, noting that the Democratic leader had previously emphasized that voters wanted Congress to focus on reducing everyday expenses rather than pursuing political retaliation.

“You said yesterday that Americans don’t want Democrats to get even, they want you to get things done on their behalf, specifically around affordability. Now, Rep. Robert Garcia, the incoming Oversight Committee Chair, struck a very different tone. He posted online, ‘LAWYER UP’, and laid out a plan that included investigating the Trump family for possible crimes in the next Congress. Are you on the same page when it comes to accountability?” Fadel asked.

Jeffries answered affirmatively, arguing that Democrats could simultaneously pursue their economic agenda and investigate what he described as wrongdoing within the administration.

“Yeah, well, we’ve repeatedly made clear over the last two years that we’ve got to relentlessly make life more affordable for the American people, while at the same period of time, visit[ing] accountability on those who have been engaged in lawbreaking, norm-breaking, and unleashing unprecedented corruption on the American people. And so, it’s my expectation — and we’re working closely, of course, with Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee and Democrats on the Oversight Committee, who will lead our accountability efforts, along with all of the relevant committees across the Congress, because the levels of corruption have been unprecedented — and we’ve made clear to the American people, that, if you have folks out there who have been stealing from the American people, shortchanging the American people, or screwing over the American people, we’re going to hold the crooks accountable. We’re going to function like a separate and co-equal branch of government, as opposed to, unfortunately, what my Republican colleagues have done, [which] is to bury their heads in the sand and be nothing more than a reckless rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme agenda. So, we’ve got to follow the facts, we’ve got to apply the law, we’ve got to be guided by the Constitution, and we have to deliver a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

The Democratic leader’s comments indicate that the party’s incoming House majority intends to make congressional investigations a major component of its agenda, even as Jeffries continues to emphasize lowering prices and addressing voters’ economic concerns.

Garcia has already identified several potential areas of investigation, including the Trump family’s business dealings, federal immigration enforcement operations, the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, and possible conflicts of interest involving government officials and private companies.

Democrats will gain subpoena authority when the new Congress convenes in January, giving committee chairmen the ability to compel testimony and demand documents. Jeffries has been coordinating investigative preparations with Garcia and Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.

The administration has rejected Democratic allegations of corruption, while Trump has accused his political opponents of preparing another campaign of politically motivated investigations.

On Saturday, Trump escalated the dispute by calling on the Justice Department to investigate Democrats who have threatened inquiries into his administration, describing their actions as “extortion” and “Weaponization and Lawfare at another level.”

Jeffries also addressed the possibility of impeachment proceedings against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, whose removal has been demanded by several lawmakers, including Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

Massie has threatened to force a House vote on eight articles of impeachment unless Hegseth resigns. Jeffries declined to commit Democrats to supporting impeachment, saying the matter would be discussed within the party caucus.

“We’ll have that conversation,” Jeffries said, describing Hegseth as “the most unqualified secretary of defense in American history.”

Asked whether impeachment was the appropriate course, Jeffries responded, “I don’t want to get out ahead of the caucus.”

“He’s got to go,” the Democratic leader added.

Jeffries also indicated that Democrats intend to pursue legislation aimed at ending the war with Iran, arguing that the conflict has contributed to higher gasoline, diesel and fertilizer prices. He said the incoming congressional majority could advance a war powers resolution requiring Trump to decide whether to sign or veto legislation restricting the military campaign.

A majority of Jewish voters in Michigan supported Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate election despite widespread concerns about his hostility toward Israel and his controversial statements concerning antisemitism, according to newly released polling that also revealed significant defections from the Democratic Party among Jewish voters.

El-Sayed, who defeated Republican Mike Rogers to become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate, received support from 57% of Jewish early voters surveyed, compared with 78% who backed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson. The 21-point difference illustrates the extent to which El-Sayed’s positions on Israel and his relationship with the Jewish community affected his support among traditionally Democratic voters.

The findings come from a survey of 482 Jewish Michigan residents who voted early in the November 3 election. Conducted between October 25 and October 31 by Mercury Public Affairs for The Jewish Majority, the poll found that El-Sayed significantly underperformed other Democratic candidates, even as most Jewish respondents remained loyal to their party.

According to the survey, approximately three-quarters of respondents identified as Democrats or leaned Democratic. Nevertheless, a substantial number refused to support El-Sayed, with some crossing party lines to vote for Rogers and others leaving the Senate contest blank.

Among respondents who recalled supporting Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin in 2024, 33% did not vote for El-Sayed this year. That included 23% who supported Rogers, 3% who chose another candidate, and 7% who declined to vote in the Senate race.

The survey also found that 5% of Jewish early voters left the Senate contest blank, compared with just 1% who skipped the gubernatorial race.

One of the most contentious issues involved El-Sayed’s response to the March attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, where an armed attacker targeted a synagogue and its adjoining early childhood center.

Following the attack, El-Sayed drew criticism for remarks that included the phrase “hurt people hurt people,” which some Jewish community members interpreted as an attempt to explain or rationalize the violence.

The survey found that 87% of self-identified Democratic respondents who either voted against El-Sayed or left the Senate race blank cited those comments as a motivating factor in their decision.

El-Sayed subsequently apologized for remarks that were perceived as insensitive, but the controversy continued to follow him throughout the campaign.

His outspoken criticism of Israel, including his opposition to continued American military assistance to the Jewish state, further alienated portions of Michigan’s Jewish community.

The Republican Jewish Coalition described El-Sayed during the campaign as “the most antisemitic U.S. Senate candidate in America,” an accusation reflecting the intensity of opposition to his candidacy among Jewish Republicans.

El-Sayed and his supporters rejected allegations that his criticism of Israel amounted to antisemitism, arguing that his positions reflected opposition to Israeli government policies rather than hostility toward Jews.

The campaign exposed significant divisions within Michigan’s Jewish population, estimated at approximately 110,000 people. While some Jewish leaders and organizations publicly opposed El-Sayed, others maintained that supporting the Democratic nominee remained preferable to electing a Republican.

Former Democratic Congressman Andy Levin and Senator Elissa Slotkin were among the prominent Jewish Democrats who supported El-Sayed, even as other longtime Democratic voters expressed reservations about his candidacy.

The Jewish Majority’s survey found that 99% of self-identified Democrats who did not support El-Sayed said they would have been at least somewhat likely to vote for a different Democratic nominee. Of those respondents, 88% said they would have been very likely to support another Democrat.

Jonathan Schulman, executive director of The Jewish Majority, said the results demonstrated that Jewish voters continued to identify strongly with the Democratic Party but expected their concerns to receive greater attention.

“Jewish voters want to remain part of the big Democratic tent, but they expect their concerns about rising antisemitism, Israel and the treatment of their community to be taken seriously,” Schulman said.

El-Sayed ultimately defeated Rogers by approximately seven percentage points, according to unofficial election results, securing a Senate seat previously held by retiring Democrat Gary Peters.

The survey covered early voters rather than the entire Jewish electorate, meaning its findings should not be treated as a definitive count of how all Jewish voters cast their ballots. Nevertheless, the substantial difference between support for El-Sayed and Benson provides evidence of the political divisions surrounding his candidacy.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has sharply criticized the Trump administration’s military campaign against Iran, questioning whether the operation had a clearly defined objective and warning that efforts to topple the Iranian government could leave the United States involved in a prolonged conflict without a realistic path to victory.

Speaking Saturday at the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government, DeSantis argued that the military operation had expanded beyond destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities into an attempt to bring about regime change, a goal he said could not realistically be accomplished through airstrikes alone.

“I think what happened this year was an attempt to cause the regime to collapse. Israel went and they took out the Ayatollah. They took out clerics. There were US strikes, obviously. And I think the goal was that the regime’s got to collapse and then something new would take its place,” he said.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on the Iran War:

All the people that had been protesting in January were all dead by the time they did it in late February.

Regime change would require massive amounts of boots on the ground. pic.twitter.com/JADJcgh1DQ

— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 7, 2026

DeSantis suggested that the timing of the operation had complicated efforts to produce a change in Iranian leadership, arguing that the earlier crackdown on anti-government demonstrators had severely weakened the opposition before the military campaign began.

“Now, the problem with that is that all the people that had been protesting in January were all dead by the time they did it in late February. And so that was done – that was a decapitation strike. That’s like the point of no return, right? I mean, once you do that, it’s like, how do you bring it to a successful conclusion?” the Florida Governor continued.

The governor contrasted the latest campaign with Operation Midnight Hammer, the American strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025. DeSantis said he remained supportive of that earlier operation because it had a specific military purpose, unlike what he described as the broader and less clearly defined objectives of the current conflict.

“This time, I think the goal – certainly from Israel – was that you’d have a regime change in Iran. Now, that’s not something that we’re going to be able to impose. That would require massive amounts of boots on the ground, massive amounts of treasure, that the American people are not interested in providing. And so that’s why I think the second time has caused more problems in terms of public acceptance and all these other things.”

DeSantis also questioned whether eliminating senior Iranian officials had strengthened the position of the country’s remaining leadership, potentially making a negotiated resolution more difficult.

“Once the Ayatollah is taken out, once these clerics [are targeted]… I think their goal was to have the government collapse, and that didn’t happen. So now the people that are there probably are more powerful than they were prior to this. And what incentive do they have to kind of do some type of deal? And you’re like, ‘Oh, just negotiate a deal.’ Wait a minute. You took out the Supreme Leader. They view us as the Great Satan. So my fear is that it’s going to kind of drag on and continue to be a sore spot, given the trajectory it’s gone.”

The governor also faulted senior administration officials for offering differing explanations of what the military campaign was intended to accomplish, arguing that the absence of a clearly articulated end goal had contributed to the difficulties facing Washington.

“I think this time has been… you’ve got to know: What are you trying to accomplish? What’s the concrete objective? Are you going to do it, and (be able to) say, ‘We accomplished the objective?’ There was never really a concrete (plan). Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said one thing. The Secretary of State (said) something else. The Vice President… they all said a little bit different when this was launched. And that’s been part of the problem,” DeSantis added.

His criticism comes as questions intensify about his political future following Republicans’ sweeping defeats in Tuesday’s midterm elections. The Washington Post reported Friday that DeSantis was exploring another presidential campaign in 2028, potentially positioning himself against Vice President JD Vance for the Republican nomination.

According to the newspaper, the Florida governor had contacted at least one national political consultant about a possible campaign, while a political committee associated with him had circulated fundraising appeals. One person familiar with the activity described it as “a sign of his intention to run in the election.”

DeSantis forcefully rejected the report, insisting that he had made no preparations to seek another elected office.

“The Washington Post is making this entire story up out of thin air. I have not contacted anyone about running for any office,” he wrote on social media. “This is just another pathetic attempt to get clicks, all while using anonymous sources, of course!”

Speaking separately at Notre Dame, DeSantis again denied contacting prospective campaign advisers, accusing the newspaper of relying on speculation and anonymous accounts rather than firsthand information. He said he remained focused on completing his term as Florida governor, which ends in January.

New York City’s new $4 million public restroom program is receiving unexpectedly positive reviews from residents six weeks after its launch, with users praising the cleanliness, modern amenities and convenience of the facilities, despite criticism over their $235,000-per-unit price tag and strict 10-minute usage limit, the NY Post reports.

The city has installed 17 high-tech bathrooms manufactured by Throne Labs as part of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s effort to address New York’s longstanding shortage of public restrooms. The facilities, which are free to use, feature touchless fixtures, decorative wallpaper, background music, baby-changing stations and automated access systems.

Early reactions on social media have been enthusiastic, with some New Yorkers describing the bathrooms as a welcome improvement over the limited and often poorly maintained public facilities traditionally available throughout the five boroughs.

One Bronx content creator was particularly impressed by the amenities, including supplies for parents.

“You got a baby changing station. You got toilet paper. You got some tunes… This [is] fire.”

Another social media user made a special trip to Astoria to experience one of the new facilities, which some residents have nicknamed the “Mamdani Toilet.”

“Traveled New York to use this toilet in particular,” the visitor said.

The New York Post conducted its own inspection of one of the units at Malcolm X Plaza in Manhattan and reported finding a remarkably clean facility, complete with a spotless toilet, sink and floor, ample toilet paper and fully stocked soap dispensers.

The enclosed bathroom also provided an unusual degree of quiet, shielding visitors from the noise of the surrounding streets.

The units operate daily from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. Visitors can unlock the doors by scanning a QR code, sending a text message to the number displayed outside or using the free Throne mobile application.

For residents without smartphones, the company has arranged for participating community organizations to distribute reusable access cards. In Central Harlem, the Food Bank for New York City has reportedly been issuing approximately 10 passes daily.

Each card carries an individual identification code, allowing operators to deactivate access when necessary, including in cases where a restroom is deliberately left in unacceptable condition.

One of the most controversial features is the automatic 10-minute time limit, which is designed to discourage people from occupying the facilities for extended periods.

Visitors receive spoken reminders after five and eight minutes. As the deadline approaches, a digital countdown appears inside the restroom, and the door automatically opens after the allotted time expires.

During its inspection, The Post deliberately remained inside beyond the permitted period and confirmed that the system issued its warnings before opening the door.

Critics have raised concerns about whether 10 minutes provides sufficient time for people with disabilities, digestive conditions or other medical needs. One Reddit user complained that the policy was “Likely violating ADA for anyone with IBS,” while another questioned the program’s price, writing, “17 toilets costs 4 million dollars…This is a terrible idea,”

Throne Labs co-founder and chief operating officer Jess Heinzelman said company employees clean the bathrooms after approximately 11 to 16 visits, with additional servicing when users report problems.

According to the company, the facilities have already recorded more than 20,000 uses and received an average customer satisfaction rating of four out of five.

Heinzelman said “the units are quick and easy to place,” noting that their modular construction allows them to be installed without the extensive underground utility work required for traditional public bathrooms.

The city’s $4 million contract covers the production, installation, operation and maintenance of all 17 restrooms during the yearlong pilot, rather than simply the purchase of the structures. City officials say the entire program costs approximately as much as constructing a single conventional public restroom in New York.

Mamdani has proposed a much broader expansion of public bathroom access, with a long-term goal of adding approximately 2,000 facilities across the city.

New York currently has roughly 1,100 public restrooms serving approximately 8.6 million residents, leaving many neighborhoods with few convenient options.

At a September press conference announcing the initiative, Mamdani defended the initial rollout as a meaningful response to a common frustration among city residents.

“Brother, I’ll tell you that when you need one, if you can find one, [it] makes a difference,” the mayor said. “So, 17, yes, it is an important first step… To us, this is also what it looks like for a city government being responsive.”

Some New Yorkers have defended the program against complaints about its restrictions, arguing that a clean, free restroom is preferable to having no public facilities available.

“There’s 0% wrong with this,” one Reddit user wrote. “It’s a free and regularly cleaned bathroom. You [just] can’t camp out in there.”

The pilot locations are spread across all five boroughs, including Cooper Square and Delancey Street in Manhattan, Columbus Park and Milestone Park in Brooklyn, several locations in Queens and the Bronx, and the North Shore Esplanade on Staten Island.

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Robert Garcia, the California Democrat preparing to take control of the powerful House Oversight Committee, has threatened to launch an investigation into Stephen Miller following President Donald Trump’s decision to appoint his longtime adviser as White House chief of staff, issuing a blunt warning that Miller should “lawyer up.”

The threat came Friday afternoon, just minutes after Trump announced that Miller would replace Susie Wiles as his chief of staff, placing one of the president’s most influential and controversial advisers in charge of overseeing White House operations.

Garcia, who is expected to become chairman of the House Oversight Committee when Democrats assume control of the chamber in January, immediately signaled that Miller would be among the administration officials facing heightened congressional scrutiny.

“Just days after the American people rejected his corrupt and lawless presidency, Donald Trump is doubling down,” Garcia said in a statement responding to the appointment.

Miller, who has been a central figure in shaping Trump’s immigration and domestic policy agenda, has long been a leading target of Democratic criticism over the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement measures.

Garcia accused Miller of bearing responsibility for controversial operations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and suggested that his elevation to chief of staff would only intensify Democratic efforts to examine his conduct.

“Stephen Miller is the architect of the unconstitutional ICE raids that have terrorized our communities and kidnapped and killed American citizens and immigrant families.

“Oversight Democrats will continue to investigate Miller for his misconduct, and we will fight against his hateful policies in Congress and the courts.”

Garcia concluded his statement with a direct warning: “Stephen Miller should lawyer up.”

The threat drew an immediate response from Attorney General Todd Blanche, who publicly pledged the Justice Department’s support for the incoming chief of staff.

“The Chief of Staff already has a lawyer. The Attorney General of the United States and the Department of Justice,” Blanche wrote on X.

Other leading Democrats also condemned the appointment. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of ignoring the message voters delivered in the midterm elections, while House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries sharply criticized Miller’s record on immigration enforcement.

Trump, meanwhile, defended his decision to promote Miller, describing him as a trusted adviser who has worked alongside him since the beginning of his political career. The president praised Miller’s management abilities and political judgment, saying he believed the longtime aide was well suited to lead the White House staff.

Miller is scheduled to assume his new position Monday, November 9. Wiles, who managed Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign, is expected to move into a role with the president’s political operation.

The leadership change comes just days after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, setting the stage for extensive investigations of the administration when the new Congress convenes in January.

As chairman of the Oversight Committee, Garcia would have the authority to initiate investigations, request administration records, hold hearings and issue subpoenas, although the White House could challenge congressional demands through executive privilege claims and litigation.

Two Israeli men are among three foreign nationals charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan with orchestrating an elaborate international fraud operation that allegedly used artificial intelligence to impersonate corporate executives and attorneys, tricking businesses into transferring more than $129 million to accounts controlled by the conspirators.

The indictment, announced Friday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, describes a sophisticated scheme in which employees of major companies were deceived into believing they were receiving confidential financial instructions from their own chief executives and lawyers representing prominent international law firms.

The defendants were identified as Jacob Soall, 41, a resident of Spain and the United Kingdom; Sharon Hazan, 54, of Israel; and Guy Sheetrit, 42, who resides in Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

According to prosecutors, Soall allegedly impersonated attorneys from leading British law firms, while Hazan and Sheetrit were involved in moving and concealing money obtained through the fraudulent transactions.

All three men were arrested in European countries between June and September 2026. American authorities are seeking their extradition to the United States to face the charges.

Federal investigators allege that the operation ran from 2024 through 2026 and relied on advanced artificial intelligence technology that prosecutors referred to as “super intelligence,” or “SI,” to reproduce the voices and, in some instances, the appearances of senior corporate executives.

The fraudsters allegedly contacted company employees while posing as their chief executive officers, claiming that urgent and highly confidential business transactions required immediate assistance.

Employees were then directed to communicate with individuals presented as attorneys from well-known international law firms. Those supposed lawyers were also impersonators who instructed the employees to transfer substantial sums of money into bank accounts controlled by the criminal network.

Prosecutors say the conspirators subsequently converted the stolen funds into cryptocurrency, using digital assets and financial transactions to obscure the money’s origins and prevent investigators from identifying its ultimate recipients.

Court documents identify a wide range of alleged victims, including hospitals, financial institutions, investment companies, and manufacturers in the United States and overseas.

Among the largest reported losses was approximately $11.58 million stolen from a British financial technology company. A Florida pet food manufacturer allegedly lost $5.24 million, while a Missouri hospital system was defrauded of approximately $4.83 million.

Other victims included a Massachusetts mutual fund company that lost $4.64 million, a California hospital system that lost nearly $2.97 million, and a Rhode Island bank that lost approximately $2.68 million.

Investigators say the fraudulent payments were directed to accounts in numerous countries, including the United States, Spain, Portugal, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Austria, Slovakia, and China.

The Justice Department also disclosed that Soall allegedly maintained a handwritten script titled “Lawyer Call,” containing instructions intended to make his impersonation of a British attorney more convincing. The script reportedly included language designed to discourage employees from discussing the supposed transactions with their colleagues.

Prosecutors further allege that Hazan boasted about his experience laundering money, claiming that he had been involved in such activities since 1994 and had processed more than $400 million in illicit funds during the preceding three years.

Federal authorities also revealed that Hazan was previously convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in the Southern District of New York in 2008.

U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald warned that advances in artificial intelligence are creating new opportunities for criminals to deceive individuals and businesses.

“SI technology offers tremendous potential,” McDonald said. “But the public should recognize that there are some who seek to use this emerging technology to pursue criminal goals.”

“I encourage individuals and the business community to consider how to best protect themselves from the emerging threat of SI-enabled crime,” McDonald said.

FBI officials said the investigation illustrates how increasingly sophisticated technology can be exploited to commit financial crimes on an international scale.

Each defendant faces seven federal charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering. The most serious fraud and money laundering counts carry potential maximum prison sentences of 20 years each.

The prosecution is being handled by the Southern District of New York’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, with assistance from law enforcement authorities in Spain and the United Kingdom.

Eva Geller, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor who was shot during the antisemitic terrorist attack on a Chanukah gathering at Sydney’s Bondi Beach last December, has died from complications related to her injuries, bringing the number of victims killed in the massacre to 16.

Geller passed away overnight Thursday in a Sydney hospital, nearly 11 months after terrorists opened fire on hundreds of Jews attending a Chanukah celebration on December 14, 2025. Fifteen people were murdered in the initial attack, while dozens of others sustained injuries.

Having survived the horrors of the Holocaust as a young girl, Geller spent her final months struggling with the devastating physical consequences of the shooting. She was repeatedly admitted to the hospital as doctors attempted to treat the serious injuries she had sustained.

Australian-Israeli human rights attorney Arsen Ostrovsky, himself a survivor of the Bondi Beach massacre, expressed his grief upon learning of her passing.

“Absolutely devastating,” Ostrovsky wrote on X. “Eva Geller, 90, shot during the Bondi terror attack, has just died, following complications from her injuries, becoming the 16th victim of the massacre. Eva was a HOLOCAUST survivor!

Geller had escaped Romania during the Holocaust, in which numerous members of her family were murdered. She eventually rebuilt her life in Australia, where she became a member of the Jewish community in Bondi Beach.

Rabbi Aron Moss of the Nefesh Synagogue, where Geller was a regular attendee, recalled that physicians initially believed her injuries would permanently prevent her from walking.

Despite that grim prognosis, Geller worked to regain her mobility and eventually succeeded in walking again. She also lived to mark her 90th birthday, an occasion that brought joy to those who had witnessed her difficult recovery.

Although she remained largely confined to bed following the attack, Rabbi Moss said she maintained a remarkably positive attitude despite her suffering. Her life had already been marked by considerable personal tragedy, including the loss of relatives during the Holocaust and the death of her husband when she was still relatively young.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese offered condolences to Geller’s family and the wider Jewish community, condemning the terrorist attack that had ultimately claimed her life.

“Eva should have been able to celebrate Chanukah in peace and safety and instead, her life was changed forever by an act of terror and antisemitism,” Albanese said.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns also expressed sorrow over her death, describing it as another painful loss for a community still recovering from the December massacre.

Police in New South Wales confirmed that they had been notified of Geller’s passing and were consulting with the coroner to determine the circumstances of her death and whether additional criminal charges might be warranted.

Authorities have identified the alleged perpetrators of the December 14 attack as Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed Akram, who investigators believe were motivated by the Islamic State terrorist organization.

Sajid Akram was killed by police during the attack, while his son survived and was arrested. Naveed Akram faces 15 murder charges, 43 attempted murder charges and a terrorism offense. He has not entered a plea, and prosecutors may review the charges following Geller’s death.

The massacre, Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in decades, prompted the New South Wales government to establish a permanent rapid-response police unit to address terrorist threats and religiously motivated violence.

Australian authorities also launched a major inquiry into antisemitism and social cohesion following the attack. More than 340 witnesses have testified over 62 days of hearings, and investigators have received more than 20,000 submissions. The commission is scheduled to release its findings on December 18.

The Israeli Embassy in Australia joined the expressions of mourning, recalling that Geller had survived Nazi persecution as a child and established a new life in Australia, only to be gravely wounded decades later while participating in a Jewish religious celebration.

Geller’s levayah and memorial service are scheduled for Monday in Sydney, where members of the Jewish community are expected to gather to pay their final respects.

By Jonathan S. Tobin

It doesn’t take a degree in political science or a job as a talking head on a cable news network to understand the 2026 midterm elections. As is usually the case, the results were a referendum on the incumbent administration. Though the reasons for it can be disputed, there is no denying that the blue wave that swept the Democratic Party into control of both houses of Congress was a rebuke to U.S. President Donald Trump and the Republicans.

But there is one aspect of the voting that remains a puzzle for some. How is it that so many Jews in Michigan, indeed a reported majority of early voters according to one survey, voted for Dr. Abdul El-Sayed?

National midterms exit polling suggested that 68% of those who identify as Jews voted for Democrats. That’s not all that much different from the surveys of the 2024 election. Two years ago, an AP/Fox News poll showed that 66% of Jews backed Democrats, while one conducted by the liberal Jewish Electoral Institute put the number at 71%.

Some observers believed that Jewish support for El-Sayed would be far lower than those numbers. Given his record of open antisemitism, that seemed a reasonable assumption. How could a candidate gain any appreciable Jewish support when he rationalized a terrorist attack on a synagogue and Jewish preschool in West Bloomfield, Mich., opposed Israel’s existence, had credible ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and waged a campaign that hinged on demonizing the pro-Israel AIPAC lobby and driving Jews from the public square, while employing tropes of Jew-hatred that resembled The Protocols of the Elders of Zion?

A majority of Jewish votes went to El-Sayed

The evidence appears to be that the percentage of Jews who voted for him wasn’t all that much lower than those who favored the average Democrat. While one should always take exit polls with a grain of salt, one survey of those who voted early in Michigan showed that a large majority of those who identify as Jewish—57%—voted for El-Sayed.

If that result is even remotely accurate how can that be explained? And what does that say about the state of American Jewry in 2026, especially considering that it took place amid a global surge of antisemitism that began with the Hamas-led, Palestinian Arab terror attacks on Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023?

El-Sayed was just one of many Democrats who benefited from the general dissatisfaction with the Trump administration, and he is just one of many opponents of Israel that will be part of the large freshman class of Democrats in the House and Senate in the next Congress.

The list includes such notable additions as Darializa Avila Chevalier, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who led a pro-Hamas demonstration in New York City’s Times Square on Oct. 8, 2023 and will soon represent Northern Manhattan in the House of Representatives.

Other DSA members who oppose the existence of the Jewish state, who will be joining the already expanded left-wing congressional “Squad,” include Claire Valdez, also of New York City, Philadelphia’s Chris Rabb, Denver’s Melat Kiros and Los Angeles’s Angela Gonzales-Torres.

And that’s not even noting the many others, whose anti-Israel stances, including those who repeat the blood libel that Israel committed “genocide” in the Gaza Strip, make them indistinguishable from DSA members.

It’s not about Netanyahu

Many Democrats claim to still support Israel. But the list of those who are willing to emphatically refute the antisemitic lies about the Gaza war or the conflict with the Palestinians in general that have been normalized in public discourse, are now few and far between.

Few oppose restrictions or bans on military aid to Israel in wartime or sanctions against Jews in Judea and Samaria, who have been demonized by the false narrative of “settler violence.” Indeed, once you get past Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), there aren’t many Democrats in Congress who fit that description.

Moreover, the notion that the Democratic Party’s turn against Israel can be explained by being alienated by the policies and statements of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a myth.

Pro-Israel Jewish Democrats claim that Netanyahu has destroyed Democratic support for the Jewish state by favoring Republicans, especially Trump. But this is false. In the last two decades, it is the Democrats who have turned on Israel, not just Netanyahu, by embracing appeasement of Iran and clinging to the two-state solution and “land for peace” formulas that most Israelis rightly understand as merely a recipe for more Oct. 7-style terror atrocities, not an end to the conflict.

If anyone still doubts that, they need to read the exchange on X between Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and Brad Lander, the Democrat who was just elected to Congress from New York City.

Lander, a former city comptroller, won his seat by defeating Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), a man with impeccable liberal and anti-Trump credentials and a critic of Netanyahu, who wouldn’t disavow support for Israel, in a Democratic primary.

Lander is Jewish and claims to not oppose Israel’s existence, but he accused it of “genocide” during the campaign and demanded that Goldman do the same. Lander responded with scorn to Lapid’s expectation that a change in power in Jerusalem and more outreach from Israeli leaders like him, who are eager to be friends with the Democrats, would change things. He made it clear that Democrats like him, who are allied with the antisemitic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and even others who are not that extreme, aren’t interested in mainstream Israeli opinion, even when it comes from liberals who want to be his allies.

Lander, who campaigned for Mamdani after losing to him in the mayoral primary, wants Israel to show “respect for international law and human rights.” While that comment is rooted in lies about both international law and Israaeli conduct, we know what it means. At a minimum, he’s demanding withdrawal from Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem and the creation of a Palestinian state, likely run by Hamas, that would pose a deadly threat to Israel’s existence. That’s something that not even the left-leaning “anyone but Bibi” coalition that seeks to replace Netanyahu couldn’t possibly accept.

This perspective, which is where many of those Americans—who, like Lander, style themselves “liberal Zionists” as opposed to the anti-Zionists of the DSA—is a partial reason why Jews continue to vote for Democrats.

Yet even that doesn’t fully explain why nearly three in five Michigan Jews may have voted for a person like El-Sayed, who is far more hostile to Jewish national existence than Lander. Indeed, not without reason, the Republican Jewish Coalition called El-Sayed the most antisemitic Senate candidate in America.

Politics flow from demography

In order to fully understand why the majority of Jews remain among the most loyal supporters of the Democrats, one needs to comprehend the cultural shift among Americans in general when it comes to politics. It is now axiomatic that in this hyper-partisan era, in which most Americans are thoroughly secular, politics now plays the role in their lives that was once played by religion.

That is even more the case for the overwhelming majority of Jews, who are non-Orthodox and politically liberal.

For this dominant sector of U.S. Jewish demography, liberal political stands—a list of beliefs that can shift with changing political fashions on the left—and devotion to the Democrats is their religion. Indeed, the positions taken by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, the policy arm of the largest U.S. Jewish denomination, are more or less those of most Democrats on a host of issues, many of which are not specifically Jewish in scope.

There has been a lot of talk about some movement toward the Republicans among Jews in recent years. Many Jewish liberals have been deeply shocked by the reaction to Oct. 7 from the American political left, especially as they saw their children targeted by pro-Hamas mobs on campuses. But it is yet to be proved that a significant percentage have drawn conclusions from this and are ready to change how they vote.

There was some reason to believe that in states like Florida, Jews were more likely to vote for candidates from a GOP that had become a lockstep supporter of the Jewish state. Trump’s efforts to combat antisemitism on college campuses also gave them a reason to switch sides. And some prominent Jews, like retired Harvard University legal scholar and longtime liberal advocate Alan Dershowitz, have done so.

But as the 2024 and 2026 elections showed, Jewish loyalty to the Democrats has continued even as they have largely transitioned into being the country’s anti-Israel party, Those who agree with Dershowitz appear to be the exceptions that prove the rule.

Part of the explanation comes not so much from ideology as it does from demography. As surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center have shown, the fastest growing sector of the American Jewish population is characterized by demographers as “Jews of no religion.”

That doesn’t just mean that they don’t practice Judaism. It encompasses a broad shift away from traditional ideas about what it means to be Jewish with devotion to religious faith, Jewish law and tradition and, above all, a sense of Jewish peoplehood being discarded. That has led to significant numbers of those who may identify as Jewish in some way but have no real connection to organized Jewish life, including synagogues, community centers and organizations that represent and serve Jews.

This is a function of the assimilation and intermarriage rates in the vicinity of 70% for non-Orthodox Jews, not critiques of Israeli policies or Netanyahu.

Giving a pass to Jew-hatred

It also means that many of them have increasingly fewer ties to the half of the world’s Jewish population that lives in Israel. That doesn’t just mean that they have a poor understanding or none at all about why Israeli Jews think as they do. They have little idea why Israelis are prepared to fight to defend their homes and families against Palestinian foes, whose national existence is inextricably linked to a century-old genocidal war on Zionism, for which the atrocities of Oct. 7 was just the trailer.

But they also don’t seem to understand that devotion to the land of Israel is central to Jewish identity, as Jews have understood it for the past 3,000 years. Many liberal Jews have rejected the widely-accepted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, because they want one that allows opposition to Israel’s existence, and not just criticism of it. without being accused of hating Jews.

Once you grasp that, it’s easier to comprehend why a not-inconsiderable number of Jews are willing to believe that someone like El-Sayed, who is in favor of the destruction of the Jewish state—something that would inevitably require the genocide of half of the Jews currently alive—but claims to love Jews, isn’t an antisemite or a threat to them.

The stances of “liberal Zionists” like the cynical Lander are likely the product of his knowing that liberal Democrats have been largely indoctrinated in the toxic doctrines of critical race theory, intersectionality and settler-colonialism and, therefore, falsely define Israel and the Jews as “white oppressors.”

That is why Democrats like him are becoming difficult to distinguish from open DSA opponents of Israel, or even antisemites like El-Sayed. Even those who merely think Israel should be more amenable to territorial withdrawals have little sympathy for the majority of Jewish Israelis who are religious or nationalist. Such American Jews haven’t paid attention to the way Palestinians have consistently rejected peace offers, because the only solution they desire is one in which Israel no longer exists.

Defining Jewish identity

For those whose Jewish identity is still firmly rooted in Jewish tradition, a vote for someone like El-Sayed is hard to justify even if they are loyal Democrats.

Perhaps few would, like Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, think that adding another member to the Democratic Senate caucus is more important than Israel’s survival or that of the Jewish people. But in the current political atmosphere, it is likely that some of them might have done so simply because they hate Trump and the Republicans more than they love Israel.

It is arguable that those with such a negligible sense of their identity as Jews are unlikely to maintain themselves as a separate community or one with any coherence. Indeed, that may already be the case, as the number of those Jews of no religion continues to multiply. Part of the problem with surveys that measure Jewish opinion or votes is that a growing number of those who say they are Jewish have few actual ties to Jewish life.

If one were to only count those Jews who have such connections or beliefs, the statistics about their voting habits and their beliefs might be very different from those that show that the Jewish population is as liberal and loyal to the Democrats as they ever were.

Even if that is true, it is still a measure of the ignorance and the lack of identification with the ongoing struggle for Jewish survival in an age of growing antisemitism that so many Jews vote for the likes of El-Sayed, Chevalier, Mamdani and even Lander. It is a sign of a community that has lost its way.

With so much of the mainstream liberal media—upon which most Jews depend for information about the Middle East and the battle against antisemitism— mainstreaming misinformation and blood libels about Israel, it’s not that surprising that they aren’t questioning knee-jerk support for Jew-hating Democrats.

But it must motivate those who understand just how wrongheaded such stances are to redouble their efforts to promote Jewish education and connection to the Jewish state as well as in telling the truth about the war against Israel.

The only way to combat the Jewish illiteracy that leads so many to vote for antisemites out of partisan loyalty is to spread the truth about Jewish life and Israel.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS.

The United States is experiencing its worst measles outbreak in 35 years, with more than 5,000 confirmed infections and at least eight deaths reported nationwide, according to newly released federal and state health data. The alarming increase comes as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces growing criticism over the Trump administration’s vaccination policies and its handling of the disease’s resurgence.

Figures released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 5,182 measles cases have been recorded in 2026, the highest annual total since 1991 and more than twice the 2,289 infections documented throughout 2025.

The virus has spread to 45 states and Washington, D.C., with health officials identifying 43 separate outbreaks this year. Approximately 96% of confirmed infections have been associated with outbreaks, reflecting the disease’s ability to spread rapidly through susceptible populations.

The death toll has also increased sharply. State health departments have reported six measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania, one in New York and one in Wisconsin. Three of those fatalities were disclosed during the past week.

New York health officials announced Wednesday that a child in the upstate region had died in connection with measles, marking the state’s first reported measles-associated death in more than three decades.

Pennsylvania authorities also confirmed another fatality Wednesday, involving an unvaccinated resident of Jefferson County. The state has experienced one of the nation’s most severe outbreaks, recording 1,487 cases and 287 hospitalizations.

On Thursday, Wisconsin officials reported the death of an infant who had measles, the state’s first such fatality since 1990.

The CDC’s official national figures currently list four measles-associated deaths, fewer than the eight reported by individual states. Federal officials say the discrepancy reflects differences in reporting and classification procedures, with the agency noting that its death count is “subject to change.”

The latest federal statistics also show that 562 people have been hospitalized with measles this year, representing approximately 11% of all confirmed infections.

Children and teenagers account for a substantial portion of the cases. More than 2,100 infections have been recorded among children ages 5 through 19, while another 908 cases involve children younger than five. Adults age 20 and older account for 2,132 infections.

Vaccination status has emerged as a major factor in the outbreaks. According to the CDC, approximately 96% of patients were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination history. Only about 2% of confirmed cases involved individuals who had received both recommended doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

Public health experts have repeatedly warned that declining childhood vaccination rates are leaving communities increasingly vulnerable to measles, one of the most contagious infectious diseases.

National data show that approximately 92.4% of American kindergarten students received the recommended MMR vaccinations during the 2025–2026 school year, compared with 95.2% before the COVID-19 pandemic. Health authorities generally consider vaccination coverage of approximately 95% necessary to prevent sustained measles transmission in communities.

The resurgence has intensified scrutiny of Kennedy, who has long questioned aspects of vaccine safety and has pursued changes to federal immunization policy since becoming health secretary.

Critics argue that his public statements and policy initiatives have contributed to confusion about vaccination at a time when health officials are struggling to contain outbreaks. Kennedy and his supporters have defended his approach as an effort to improve transparency and restore public confidence in federal health recommendations.

The worsening situation also threatens America’s longstanding measles elimination designation, which the country has maintained since 2000. That status means the virus has not circulated continuously within the United States for at least 12 months, rather than that measles has been permanently eradicated.

International public health authorities are expected to review whether continued transmission during the current outbreaks warrants withdrawing the designation.

Measles typically begins with fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes before producing a characteristic rash. Although many patients recover, complications can include pneumonia, brain inflammation and death, particularly among young children and individuals with weakened immune systems.

The CDC continues to recommend two doses of the MMR vaccine, which provide approximately 97% protection against measles. Health officials are urging families to verify their vaccination records, particularly in communities experiencing active outbreaks.

Congressional Democrats are preparing a major legislative effort to overturn President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports when they assume control of Congress in January, with party leaders hoping to recruit enough Republican support to overcome a possible presidential veto.

Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, who is expected to become chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has begun discussions with fellow lawmakers about legislation targeting the administration’s trade restrictions on Canada, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Wyden said he is “already talking” with colleagues about the proposal and believes opposition to the tariffs extends well beyond the Democratic Party.

“There is overwhelming support for repealing the tariffs on products from Canada,” Wyden said earlier this week.

Democrats view the tariff issue as a potential opportunity to attract Republican lawmakers whose constituents have been affected by higher import costs. Some of Trump’s trade measures have imposed duties reaching 50% on certain products, including materials and goods used by American manufacturers and consumers.

One strategy under consideration would involve bringing individual tariff measures to a vote, forcing members of Congress to publicly decide whether to maintain duties on specific categories of imported goods.

However, Wyden indicated that his ambitions extend beyond removing particular tariffs. He wants Congress to reconsider the broad authority that has allowed presidents to impose trade restrictions without obtaining specific legislative approval.

“Ultimately, Congress must take away the president’s ability to unilaterally and arbitrarily impose tariffs,” Wyden said.

The administration’s trade policies have had a particularly significant impact on states with close commercial ties to Canada, including Michigan and Ohio, where manufacturers depend on cross-border supply chains for automotive parts, machinery, and other industrial materials.

Democrats argue that the tariffs have increased costs for American businesses and consumers, while Trump has maintained that his trade policies are necessary to protect domestic industries, encourage manufacturing investment, and secure more favorable agreements with foreign governments.

The proposed Democratic legislation faces significant obstacles. Even with control of both chambers, Democrats would need substantial Republican backing to overcome Senate procedural hurdles and assemble the two-thirds majorities required to override a presidential veto.

Kelly Ann Shaw, who served on the National Economic Council during Trump’s first administration, suggested that the president is unlikely to retreat from his trade agenda simply because Democrats have gained control of Congress.

“The president has been moving forward on his trade agenda irrespective of the makeup of Congress,” Shaw said.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the possibility of congressional action Friday, saying that removing American tariffs would help reduce household expenses, support employment, and restore stability to trade between the neighboring countries. He also acknowledged that he had not yet discussed the proposed legislation directly with Democratic lawmakers.

The Democratic initiative comes as Washington and Ottawa have shown signs of progress in their own negotiations. Trump and Carney recently described a telephone conversation as productive, raising hopes that the two governments could reach an agreement without waiting for congressional intervention.

During a campaign appearance in Iowa, Trump expressed optimism about the discussions, telling supporters, “We have the concept of a very good deal with Canada.”

The administration has nevertheless threatened additional tariffs on Canadian automobiles if negotiations fail to produce an agreement before January, increasing pressure on Canadian manufacturers and American companies dependent on the cross-border automotive industry.

Trade organizations are also hoping that improved relations will resolve retaliatory restrictions affecting American exports. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, whose members include major American beverage producers, has urged both governments to eliminate trade barriers that have disrupted sales in Canada.

A volcano in Spain’s Canary Islands could someday trigger a devastating tsunami capable of reaching the eastern United States within hours, according to a prominent volcanologist who warns that a massive section of the volcanic island of La Palma may eventually collapse into the Atlantic Ocean. However, scientists remain divided over the potential scale of such a disaster, and there is no indication that a catastrophic collapse is imminent.

Professor Bill McGuire, a volcanologist who has studied the Cumbre Vieja volcanic system, recently revisited the possibility of a massive landslide generating powerful ocean waves in an article published by BBC Science Focus.

The concern involves a substantial portion of the volcano’s western slope, known as its flank, which researchers have examined for evidence of instability. McGuire believes that a sufficiently large collapse into the ocean could displace enormous quantities of seawater and produce a tsunami affecting coastlines far beyond the Canary Islands.

“Based on extensive studies, I expect this part of the flank will eventually crash into the North Atlantic, launching a megatsunami in the process,” McGuire wrote.

The theory has generated considerable disagreement among geologists and tsunami researchers, particularly regarding whether a volcanic landslide could produce waves powerful enough to cause widespread destruction thousands of miles away.

“There has been huge debate and discussion, sometimes quite heated, about the level of expected destruction, and — in particular — whether devastating waves will reach the coast of North America.”

Some researchers have pointed to enormous boulders found along coastlines in the Bahamas as possible evidence that exceptionally powerful ocean waves have struck the region in prehistoric times.

Scientists studying those formations have explored whether ancient volcanic landslides in the Canary Islands could have generated transatlantic tsunamis capable of transporting large rocks and leaving deposits far from their original locations. The origins of those boulders, however, remain disputed, with other researchers proposing that powerful storms or local geological processes may explain their presence.

In the most extreme scenario examined by McGuire and his colleagues, the collapse could produce waves reaching approximately 65 feet along portions of the American coastline, with the first waves arriving in Florida roughly nine hours after the landslide.

Such an event would begin with the sudden movement of an enormous volume of rock into the Atlantic, generating exceptionally large waves near La Palma and potentially threatening neighboring Canary Islands before spreading across the ocean.

However, subsequent scientific research has challenged the assumptions behind those predictions. The U.S. Geological Survey has noted that more recent computer simulations suggest waves reaching the American East Coast would likely measure approximately three to seven feet even under a worst-case collapse scenario, considerably smaller than the original projections.

Researchers have also questioned whether the volcano’s western flank could collapse in a single massive landslide. Geological evidence suggests that similar volcanic failures frequently occur in stages, potentially reducing the size and destructive force of the resulting tsunami.

Cumbre Vieja remains an active volcanic system, having most recently erupted in 2021. That eruption caused extensive damage on La Palma, destroying homes and infrastructure, but did not produce the catastrophic landslide envisioned in the megatsunami scenario.

Despite his warning, McGuire emphasized that the potential disaster cannot be assigned a timetable and may be extraordinarily distant.

“I have no doubt this will be a cataclysmic event, but have no idea when it will happen — it could easily be centuries or even millennia down the line,” McGuire noted.