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The White House on Friday removed a meme video shared on President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account after it sparked sharp criticism for portraying former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, drawing condemnation from senior Republicans who called the clip racist and demanded its removal.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially pushed back against critics and accused them of stirring “fake outrage,” but the video was taken down shortly before noon.

A White House official later said the post was the result of an internal error, adding that a staff member had “erroneously made the post. It has been taken down.”

Sen. Tim Scott, the highest-ranking Black Republican in Congress, publicly rebuked the White House earlier in the day on X, writing: “Praying it [the post] was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it.”

Rep. Mike Lawler also condemned the video, saying: “The President’s post is wrong and incredibly offensive — whether intentional or a mistake — and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered.”

The criticism extended beyond elected officials. Conservative activist Debbie Dooley said she was “horrified” by the imagery shown in the video.

“I am no fan of the Obamas, but the graphic designer that created the video that shows The Obamas as apes needs to be fired and banned from the White House,” she said.

Dooley was among the original founders of the Tea Party movement that helped Republicans regain control of the House during the 2010 midterm elections under Obama’s presidency.

In an earlier response, Leavitt sought to downplay the controversy, stating: “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from ‘The Lion King.’”

“Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”

The approximately one-minute video, which appeared on Trump’s Truth Social account late Thursday and was originally created by an anonymous X user, largely focused on allegations of vote-rigging in the 2020 election. It included AI-generated images depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes while the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” played.

The clip was taken from a longer video that portrayed several prominent Democrats — including Joe Biden, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — as animals styled after characters from the animated Disney film.

In the video, Biden was shown as a chimp, Schumer as a zebra, and Newsom as an impala.

“Disgusting behavior by the President. Every single Republican must denounce this. Now,” Newsom’s office’s X account posted.

{Matzav.com}

Italian police fired tear gas and a water cannon at dozens of protesters who threw firecrackers and tried to access a highway near a Winter Olympics venue on Saturday. The brief confrontation came at the end of a peaceful march by thousands against the environmental impact of the Games and the presence of U.S. agents […]

The United States moved to escalate pressure on Iran on Friday after Tehran rejected American demands to suspend uranium enrichment during nuclear discussions in Oman, with the Trump administration announcing a new round of sanctions targeting the Islamist regime.

The State Department said it imposed sanctions on 15 Iranian entities, two individuals, and 14 shadow fleet vessels connected to the illegal trade of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products.

“These targets have generated revenue that the regime uses to conduct its malign activities,” the State Department said in a news release. “Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilizing activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran.

“So long as [the] Iranian regime attempts to evade sanctions and generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund such oppressive behavior and support terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will act to hold both the Iranian regime and its partners accountable.”

The negotiations had initially been scheduled to take place Friday in Istanbul, with several Middle Eastern nations expected to attend as observers. Iran announced earlier in the week that it wanted the venue changed to Oman and insisted the talks be limited to a direct, bilateral format.

Rather than meeting directly, the delegations conducted indirect discussions through Omani mediators, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. People familiar with the talks told the newspaper that neither side made meaningful concessions from their original positions.

The American delegation included special envoy Steve Witkoff, White House adviser Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command. Iran’s delegation was led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, alongside his deputies Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Kazem Gharibabadi, and Hamid Qanbari, according to Press TV.

Officials in the region and many analysts entered the talks with limited expectations, pointing to Iran’s refusal to halt uranium enrichment and Washington’s insistence on addressing Tehran’s ballistic missile program, its backing of terrorist proxies, and its human rights record following a violent crackdown on anti-regime demonstrators.

“Our talks are focused solely on the nuclear issue, and we are not engaging with the Americans on any other subject,” Araghchi told Press TV.

Araghchi said the talks marked “a good start” toward continued negotiations. According to a report by CNN, the two sides agreed to hold additional discussions, though no date or location has yet been determined.

He also called on Trump to reduce military pressure, saying negotiations should “take place in a calm environment, free from tension and threats.”

President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran over its nuclear ambitions and the regime’s use of force against protesters. In recent weeks, the United States has reinforced its military footprint in the region with the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group. During the talks, Washington highlighted its posture by conducting fighter jet flights over the carrier strike group in the Arabian Sea, according to a report by the New York Post.

{Matzav.com}

Three 22-year-old yeshiva bochurim were listed in stable condition after being dramatically rescued Friday night from the icy waters of Jamaica Bay in Queens, when the frozen surface beneath them suddenly collapsed in the Bayswater area near Far Rockaway.

The bochurim had traveled to the neighborhood for Shabbos to participate in a friend’s Auf Ruf and were in the area when the ice gave way, sending them plunging into the frigid bay.

Video released by authorities shows an intense, multi-agency rescue operation involving the NYPD Scuba Team, Aviation Unit, and Emergency Service Unit, working in coordination with the FDNY. All three young men were successfully pulled from the water and rushed to nearby hospitals, where officials said they were extremely fortunate to have survived the ordeal.

Additional NYPD footage documented the moment the bochurim broke through the ice covering Jamaica Bay on Friday afternoon, capturing the perilous conditions responders faced during the rescue.

According to police, the three bochurim, all 22 years old, were struggling to stay afloat after crashing through the ice in the Far Rockaway section shortly after 4 p.m.

A separate aerial image taken by a drone showed a diver wearing a black wetsuit and red flotation gear lying atop a fractured sheet of ice amid the bay.

Emergency crews from the NYPD and FDNY rushed to the scene after a 911 call reported the men trapped in the water, with the police scuba unit immediately deploying into the bay.

Footage shared by the NYPD shows rescuers forcing their way through the freezing water and transferring the soaked victims to an aviation team lowering officers from a hovering helicopter.

Police said all three men were transported to hospitals and remained in stable condition.

At the rescue scene, officers were seen laying the bochurim out on unstable ice after pulling them from the water, where they were immediately surrounded by first responders providing emergency care.

The video then shows the bochurim being lifted from the scene by officers suspended from a hovering helicopter and transported to safety.

Authorities said the NYPD continues to look into the circumstances that led the men onto the ice.

Two of the rescued bochurim were taken to Mount Sinai Nassau Hospital, while the third was transported to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital. All were reported to be in stable condition.

At the time of the incident, the water temperature in Jamaica Bay was approximately 36 degrees, according to tidal data, with conditions approaching low tide when police received the emergency call.

WATCH:

A report published today by Asharq Al-Awsat outlined new claims regarding how hostages were held and guarded in Gaza during the war.

According to sources within Hamas who spoke to the newspaper, securing the hostages posed significant challenges. Despite the difficulties, senior figures in both the group’s military and political leadership directed that major resources be devoted to protecting the lives of those still alive, as well as preserving the bodies of hostages who were killed.

The report cited information from Kan News indicating that Hamas sources said living hostages were frequently relocated throughout Gaza as circumstances permitted. They were reportedly moved under heavy guard between underground tunnels, above-ground apartments, and other sites, without being detected by the Israel Defense Forces.

The same sources claimed that the bodies of deceased hostages were stored in a variety of locations, including graves inside Hamas tunnels, formal cemeteries, and facilities controlled by different factions that had the infrastructure needed to preserve the remains.

According to the report, numerous hostages were transferred from northern Gaza to the southern part of the Strip. The sources said there were instances when Israeli forces were only meters away from where hostages were being held, but guards succeeded in diverting the troops or moving the captives through alternate routes. In some cases, hostages were reportedly kept in tunnels situated beneath IDF staging or assembly areas.

Hamas sources further claimed that following October 7, the group’s military wing conducted a series of meetings, both directly and through intermediaries, with leaders of other terror organizations that had taken hostages. Those discussions were aimed at coordinating security arrangements, compiling information about the hostages’ identities and numbers, and transferring some captives into the custody of the military wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The report added that Hamas’ military leadership exercised oversight over hostages held not only by Hamas itself but also by other factions. After the first ceasefire, senior military representatives from the various groups reportedly held face-to-face meetings to reorganize the guarding system and review updated information on both living and deceased hostages. During that period, additional hostages were transferred into Hamas’ control, based on the assessment that Hamas possessed the strongest capabilities for guarding them.

{Matzav.com}

Yoav Gallant sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu during an interview aired Tuesday night on Channel 12 News, disputing Netanyahu’s account of the events surrounding October 7 as laid out in documents the Prime Minister submitted to the State Comptroller.

“There is a consciousness-engineering effort here. They take fragments of discussions and sentences from long periods of time, put them together, and turn them into a story. I respect the office of the Prime Minister. I never thought I would have to come to the studio and say: our Prime Minister is a liar. The Prime Minister is lying.”

Gallant said Netanyahu has misrepresented his disagreements with the defense establishment, pointing to a statement the Prime Minister made a day earlier. “I want to explain what a lie is. Yesterday, I heard the Prime Minister say on the news, ‘At least 10 times I opposed the positions of the defense establishment.’ He gave three examples. The first was the reserve mobilization on October 7. On October 7 at 9:00 a.m., I finished a situation assessment with the IDF. Netanyahu had not yet arrived at the Kirya.”

According to Gallant, the critical decisions that morning were taken before Netanyahu was present. “There, I said three things: first, ‘We are at war’; second, ‘Mobilize everyone – regular and reserve’; and third, ‘Ensure deployment both to the north and to the south.’ I went out to the public and gave an explanation. When I finished – because I understood the public was waiting for something – the Prime Minister still had not arrived at the Kirya. In the discussions, he says, ‘I made decisions at 8 or 9 in the morning.’ He wasn’t there.”

Gallant said the rupture in his trust did not stem from his own dismissal and later reinstatement, but from what he described as Netanyahu’s conduct toward Israel’s security leadership after the attack. “There was one thing that, for me, crossed the red line. And by the way, it wasn’t the fact that I stood before the public, made my statement, and was fired for it – and later reinstated. That is not what broke my trust. What broke my trust was when I saw that while the IDF was being led by the Chief of Staff with great courage despite the massive failure of October 7, and while the Shin Bet was being led by its director despite the failure…”

He went on to accuse Netanyahu of undermining senior officials during wartime. “While they were on the front lines, Netanyahu was stabbing them in the back, inciting all the government ministers against them, and leaking everything to the media. That does not meet my standards, no matter what happens to me in the future. I have a hierarchy of priorities: the State of Israel, the defense establishment, the IDF and all the agencies, and only after that Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu’s hierarchy of priorities is first Netanyahu, then the coalition that keeps him in power, and only after that the state.”

Netanyahu’s associates pushed back forcefully, rejecting Gallant’s claims and accusing him of repeated falsehoods. “Following Gallant’s lies – even on the issue of eliminating Nasrallah, the entry into Rafah, and additional operations – it will become clear who conditioned actions on prior notification to the Americans, and who, namely the Prime Minister, did not hesitate and issued directives to carry them out.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump plans to convene the first meeting of his Board of Peace this month in Washington to raise money for the reconstruction of Gaza. The meeting, proposed for Feb. 19, would include both world leaders who accepted Trump’s invitation in January to join the board as well as members of an executive committee […]

The United States has set a June deadline for Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement ending their nearly four-year war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as fresh Russian attacks on energy infrastructure forced nuclear power plants to scale back electricity production on Saturday.

Zelenskyy said that if progress is not made by June, the administration of President Donald Trump is expected to increase pressure on both Kyiv and Moscow to comply with that timetable.

“The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule,” Zelenskyy said Friday. His remarks were shared with reporters under embargo until Saturday morning.

“And they say that they want to do everything by June. And they will do everything to end the war. And they want a clear schedule of all events,” he added.

He said Washington has suggested convening the next round of trilateral negotiations next week on U.S. soil for the first time, with Miami cited as the likely venue. “We confirmed our participation,” Zelenskyy said.

According to Zelenskyy, Russia has submitted a sweeping $12 trillion economic proposal to the United States, which he referred to as the “Dmitriev package,” named for Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. He said bilateral economic arrangements with Washington are being discussed as part of the wider negotiating framework.

At the same time, Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy system continued. Zelenskyy said in a post on X that more than 400 drones and roughly 40 missiles were launched overnight, striking power grids, generation facilities, and distribution networks.

Ukrenergo, the state electricity transmission operator, said the barrage marked the second large-scale assault on energy infrastructure since the start of the year. Eight sites in eight different regions were hit, according to the company.

“As a result of missile strikes on key high-voltage substations that ensured the output of nuclear power units, all nuclear power plants in the territories under control were forced to reduce their load,” the statement said.

Ukrenergo added that the attacks sharply worsened the country’s electricity shortfall, forcing authorities to extend rolling hourly outages nationwide.

The June deadline follows U.S.-mediated trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that failed to yield a breakthrough, with both sides maintaining incompatible positions. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas, where fighting remains intense, a condition Kyiv says it will not accept.

“Difficult issues remained difficult. Ukraine once again confirmed its positions on the Donbas issue. ‘We stand where we stand’ is the fairest and most reliable model for a ceasefire today, in our opinion,” Zelenskyy said. He added that the most sensitive questions would be left for a trilateral meeting between national leaders.

Zelenskyy said the sides also failed to find common ground on the future of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and voiced doubt about a U.S. idea to designate the Donbas region, sought by Russia, as a free economic zone as a compromise.

“I do not know whether this can be implemented, because when we talked about a free economic zone, we had different views on it,” he said.

He noted that the most recent talks focused on the technical mechanisms for monitoring a potential ceasefire, adding that the United States reiterated it would take part in overseeing that process.

In recent months, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s power grid from the air, triggering widespread blackouts and disrupting heating and water supplies during a harsh winter, further straining Kyiv’s resources.

Zelenskyy said the United States has once again proposed a ceasefire that would prohibit attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine is prepared to abide by such an arrangement if Russia does the same, he said, but noted that when Moscow previously agreed to a one-week pause proposed by Washington, it was broken after just four days.

{Matzav.com}

The View is under federal scrutiny after an interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico prompted questions about compliance with political “equal time” requirements.

The inquiry is being conducted by the Federal Communications Commission and follows the agency’s recent release of updated guidance on the “statutory equal opportunities requirement” rooted in the Communications Act of 1934. In announcing the guidance, the FCC said the rule applies to “late night and daytime talk shows.”

According to a report by Fox News Digital, the review was triggered by Talarico’s appearance on the program Monday, a source familiar with the matter told the outlet.

Talarico is currently locked in a heated Democratic primary for the US Senate seat from Texas against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, while multiple Republican candidates are simultaneously competing for their party’s nomination.

Crockett herself appeared on “The View” last month, before the FCC issued its announcement clarifying how it intends to enforce the equal-time standard.

On the Republican side, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt are all vying for the GOP nomination. If the FCC ultimately determines that ABC and its parent company The Walt Disney Company violated the rules, those candidates could also be entitled to airtime on the show.

The Texas primary election is scheduled for March 3.

Under FCC regulations, there is a “bona fide” exemption that can shield news programs from the obligation to provide equal time to opposing candidates. However, the agency has said it has not been shown “any evidence that the interview portion of any late-night or daytime television talk show program on the air presently would qualify for the ‘bona fide’ news exemption.”

President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized “The View” and several of its left-leaning panelists over the years.

In July, the White House took aim at co-host Joy Behar after she suggested the president was jealous of Barack Obama.

A White House spokesman responded by calling her an “irrelevant loser” and said she should think twice before “her show is the next to be pulled off air.”

Those remarks followed CBS’s decision to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” another program led by a prominent Trump critic.

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. State Department has issued a stark warning advising American citizens to leave Iran without delay, pointing to a rapidly worsening security environment and severe nationwide disruptions.

In a countrywide alert released on Feb. 6, the Virtual Embassy Tehran said tighter security measures are being imposed across Iran, accompanied by road closures, interruptions to public transportation, and persistent internet shutdowns. The advisory noted that Iranian authorities continue to limit access to mobile and landline communications, while airlines are canceling or restricting flights on short notice.

“U.S. citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Türkiye,” the alert read.

“Actions to Take:
• Leave Iran now. Have a plan for departing Iran that does not rely on U.S. government help.
• Flight cancellations and disruptions are possible with little warning. Check directly with your airlines for updates.
• If you cannot leave, find a secure location within your residence or another safe building. Have a supply of food, water, medications, and other essential items.
• Avoid demonstrations, keep a low profile, and stay aware of your surroundings.
• Monitor local media for breaking news. Be prepared to adjust your plans.
• Keep your phone charged and maintain communication with family and friends to inform them of your status.”

U.S. officials emphasized that Washington cannot ensure the safety of those attempting to depart and cautioned Americans not to depend on U.S. government assistance to exit the country. The alert also underscored the elevated danger facing dual U.S.-Iranian nationals, explaining that Iran does not recognize dual citizenship and may detain individuals because of their American connections.

The United States does not maintain diplomatic or consular relations with Iran. Switzerland serves as the protecting power for U.S. interests in Tehran.

{Matzav.com}

Candace Owens, a figure linked to right-wing media in the United States who in recent years has drawn attention for antisemitic rhetoric, has again circulated blood-libel style claims aimed at Jews and the State of Israel.

During one of her regular programs last week, Owens asserted that Israel was responsible for the deadliest terrorist attack in American history, which killed roughly 3,000 civilians.

“Let’s recap the Muggle edition of what we were told,” Owens said, using the term “Muggle” from the Harry Potter book series to suggest that the public had been fed a deliberately misleading explanation of events.

“On September 11th, 2001, some super-duper evil Muslims, known to most of us now as Israelis, hijacked some planes and drove them into the Pentagon, flew them into the Pentagon building, also the Twin Towers, and then building 7 kind of got really emotional seeing his friends get hit and went ahead and just collapsed itself,” she declared.

Owens went on to echo additional conspiracy narratives tied to the attacks, including claims that one hijacker’s passport was planted near the World Trade Center to misdirect investigators and that the aircraft that struck the Pentagon did not have wings.

The September 11 attacks have long been established as the work of al-Qaeda, under the leadership of Osama bin Laden, with the operation planned by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

A total of 19 hijackers carried out the coordinated takeover of four commercial airplanes: 15 were citizens of Saudi Arabia, two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was from Egypt, and one was from Lebanon.

{Matzav.com}

Trump plans to convene the first meeting of his new Board of Peace in Washington this month to raise funds for Gaza’s reconstruction, bringing together invited world leaders and an executive committee overseeing the territory’s governance, security, and redevelopment.

Trump is increasingly relying on senior U.S. military leaders for diplomacy, sending CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper to Iran nuclear talks in Oman and positioning Army Secretary Dan Driscoll as a key negotiator in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Washington on Wednesday for talks with US President Donald Trump, with Iran expected to dominate the agenda.

According to Israeli officials, the discussions will center on ongoing negotiations with Tehran and Israel’s insistence that any agreement address more than just nuclear activity.

“The Prime Minister believes any negotiations must include limitations on ballistic missiles and a halting of the support for the Iranian axis,” his office said tonight.

Against that backdrop, senior US figures Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner toured the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln this morning.

The visit took place at the invitation of United States Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper and was aimed at showing support for American forces deployed in the region. It came shortly after a round of indirect negotiations in Oman, which Trump later praised as “very good talks,” adding that Iran appears eager to reach an understanding.

Meanwhile, Tehran signaled firm opposition to one of Israel’s key demands. Speaking earlier Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the notion that Iran’s missile capabilities could be part of any deal.

“This is a defensive matter. No external country will deal with it,” he said.

Araghchi also ruled out a full suspension of uranium enrichment, saying that issue was not on the table. At the same time, he indicated some flexibility, saying Iran is willing to negotiate an enrichment framework acceptable to all parties. As he put it, “The level of uranium enrichment is based on our needs, and the enriched uranium will not leave Iran.”

{Matzav.com}

Former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant launched a blistering public attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of lying to the public and deliberately distorting the narrative surrounding the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, to shield himself from responsibility. In an interview with Channel 12, Gallant repeatedly described Netanyahu as dishonest and self-serving, […]

At least 100 million Americans are on alert for dangerous cold weather in the coming days across the East. Much of this extreme cold is due to strong winds gusting 30 to 50 mph this weekend, especially Saturday.

Automakers are largely skipping Super Bowl 60 ads amid industry uncertainty, with only GM, Toyota, and Volkswagen participating as the sector’s share of ad time has fallen from 40% in 2012 to 7% by 2025.

Saboteurs damaged rail infrastructure near Italy’s Bologna, disrupting train journeys on the first full day of the Winter Olympic Games.

WATCH: Fair ride collapses in India, killing one and injuring over a dozen

President Donald Trump has taken the unusual step of tapping military leaders for high-level diplomacy, sending the top U.S. commander in the Middle East to talks over Iran’s nuclear program and positioning the Army secretary as a key negotiator on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, for the first […]