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A federal judge on Thursday questioned whether the Trump administration is legally allowed to build President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom, asking Justice Department lawyers to cite a law that gives him the power to do so.

“Where do you see the authority for the president to tear down the East Wing and build something in its place?” said Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush. Historic preservationists sued the Trump administration in December, demanding a halt to the project until it undergoes reviews.

Leon criticized the Trump administration for an “end run” around congressional oversight by soliciting private donations to build the planned $400 million ballroom, characterizing the administration’s argument to rely on Interior Department authority as a “Rube Goldberg contraption.”

Leon also repeatedly pressed Justice Department lawyers to explain how Trump had the authority to rapidly demolish the East Wing annex and construct a planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom. He mocked the administration’s comparison of the project to a swimming pool built in 1975 by then-President Gerald Ford that was funded by private donations.

“You compare that to ripping down the East Wing and building a new East Wing?” Leon said. “C’mon. Be serious.”

Leon said that he did not plan to rule on the matter in January but could issue a decision in February. The White House has said it plans to begin aboveground construction of the ballroom in April.

Leon said that regardless of how he rules, he expects the case to be appealed to the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and even the Supreme Court.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit group charged by Congress with helping preserve historic buildings, sued the Trump administration in December, arguing that the White House had failed to undertake legally required reviews as well as obtain authorization from Congress before demolishing the East Wing.

“The president is a temporary resident of the White House. He’s not the landlord,” said Tad Heuer, a Foley Hoag lawyer representing the National Trust, calling for a halt to construction.

“He’s a steward,” Leon replied.

Justice Department lawyers argued that Congress had authorized the White House to pursue changes to its campus by setting aside several million dollars in funding and allowing the Interior Department to solicit gifts for national parks. Leon said that the congressional authorization was narrow and limited to matters such as White House maintenance.

Heuer agreed with Leon that congressional approval for a few million dollars a year to update an HVAC system or make minor repairs does not amount to blessing a project along the lines of a $400 million ballroom building.

“Congress does not hide elephants in mouse holes,” he told the judge.

Yaakov Roth, a Justice Department lawyer arguing the case, told Leon that construction could not be halted, citing national security reasons.

“It can’t be divided out that way,” Roth said.

The hearing, which was attended by Joshua Fisher, a White House senior official helping oversee the ballroom, and other administration officials, came hours after Trump’s handpicked arts commissioners met to discuss the planned ballroom. That panel’s new leader raised several questions about its size and design but indicating he favors the controversial project.

“It’s an important thing to the president. It’s an important thing to the nation. We all know it,” said Rodney Mims Cook Jr., the newly elected chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts. He added that there was a clear need to create a permanent space where presidents could host large events. “I think that that is our charge … [to] take care of what the president wants us to do.”

The Commission of Fine Arts is one of two federal panels set to review the proposed ballroom’s design, effect on the city’s historic views and other aspects of urban planning. The White House has said it hopes to obtain approval from the panels in the next two months, a far faster review process compared with other large projects that have sometimes needed years.

Both the Commission of Fine Arts and the other panel, the National Capital Planning Commission, are now led by Trump appointees after the president removed members named by the Biden administration. The Commission of Fine Arts’ new members include James McCrery II, who served as Trump’s first architect on the planned White House ballroom, and Cook, a developer and designer who served on the commission during the first Trump administration before being removed by President Joe Biden.

Shalom Baranes, chief architect of the White House ballroom project, on Thursday largely reprised a presentation he gave to the planning commission earlier this month, detailing the nearly 90,000-square-foot building and the 22,000-square-foot ballroom inside.

The Trump administration argued that administrations have long needed a larger space to entertain VIP guests like foreign dignitaries and cultural icons. Josh Fisher, director of White House management and administration, told commissioners that the ballroom will help Trump and future presidents carry out their policy agendas by presenting the country in the best possible light.

“It is a stage for democracy,” Fisher said. “It is where alliances will be honored, where cultural achievements will be recognized and where the United States will present itself to the world.”

The arts commissioners raised several questions about the planned project. Cook pressed Baranes on whether the ballroom’s pediment – the triangular arch above the planned portico – could be reduced.

“It is immense,” he said, comparing it to the much larger Treasury building next door and warning of the visual impact as people look upon the White House from the south side of the building. “It’s immense.”

Baranes said the design was Trump’s preference.

Mary Anne Carter, another newly named fine arts commissioner who also chairs the National Endowment for the Arts, questioned Baranes on whether the ballroom offered sufficient protection for the president and asked for updates at future meetings. The arts panel’s purview has historically focused on design matters, not security.

“We all want it to be beautiful,” Carter said. “We also want this president and future presidents to be safe and secure.”

Trump, who has faced assassination attempts, has said he wants the ballroom to be equipped to host a presidential inauguration.

McCrery, having worked on the ballroom, recused himself from the presentation.

The other two new arts commissioners – Roger Kimball, a conservative art critic, and Matthew Taylor, an artist and filmmaker whom Trump installed at the National Endowment for the Humanities last year – did not ask questions.

The Commission of Fine Arts collected several dozen public comments that were overwhelmingly critical of the planned project, a CFA official told the new commissioners.

Baranes said that more details about the project, including 3D drawings, would be coming soon. He also told the panel that he had not begun designing a planned second-story addition to the West Wing colonnade, which White House officials have proposed as a way to balance the two buildings flanking the executive mansion. Whether the colonnade gets built will depend on the results of ongoing structural assessments, he said.

At Thursday afternoon’s hearing, Leon asked whether the ballroom’s dimensions could be reduced, including by lowering its height.

“Would it be possible, architecturally, to go smaller?” Leon asked Heuer, who said any changes to the building’s height could be difficult to implement. Heuer also argued that lowering the building’s height without shrinking its width could result in a shorter, squatter building that would be more visually disruptive than the planned ballroom.

After the hearing, about two dozen White House and Justice Department officials gathered for several minutes in the court hallway. They dispersed when a Washington Post reporter approached.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post 

{Matzav.com}

Lego fans will soon be able to wear the brand’s trademark colorful bricks on their feet.

Crocs Inc. has teamed up with the Danish toymaker in a multiyear agreement, starting with Lego-shaped clogs as it looks to connect with new consumers. Another launch will follow in the spring.

The company, which is looking to recapture sales growth, is positioning the clogs as collectible items for kids and adults, although the first drop will only be offered only in adult sizes. Each will include a “Lego minifigure with four pairs of its own miniature Crocs shoes.” They’ll be available globally on Feb. 16 and cost $150 – well above the price for regular Crocs footwear, which typically run in the $35 to $50 range, with collaborations running up to $70.

“Lego has a very broad consumer base, very similar to Crocs,” said Anne Mehlman, president of the Crocs brand, in an interview. “They have very engaged kids and very engaged adults – a lot of adults have full Lego rooms dedicated, and we do too.”

The casual footwear maker needs a new hit as the rapid growth of recent years fades. The brand experienced breakneck expansion coming out of the pandemic as comfortable apparel gained favor, with revenue surging 54% in 2022. Collaborations with celebrities such as Post Malone and fashion brands including Balenciaga sparked viral interest while Jibbitz – charms that users affix to the footwear – made Crocs customizable, further boosting their appeal.

That momentum has faded, however. Analysts anticipate revenue in the company’s fourth quarter declined about 7.5%, with another slump projected for the following period. Crocs experienced weakness during the holiday period, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Second Measure, and the company is struggling to turn around its HeyDude brand, according to research from Bloomberg Analyst Abigail Gilmartin.

The partnership is “a radical move to rebuild brand heat,” Gilmartin said, citing the brand’s past “viral success with some of its more out-there shoe models like the yellow boot a few years ago.”

“Lego’s loyal fan base could be what Crocs needs to reengage with younger shoppers,” she said.

Lego, which will sell the footwear at some of its retail locations, offers a strong partner for Crocs. The closely held toymaker reported record revenue while gaining market share in 2024, according to the most recent data that’s publicly available. It’s building new factories, including one in Virginia, and pushing into gaming and digital toys. It’s not the first time Lego has collaborated with a footwear brand, last year partnering with Nike Inc.

What is Tommy Cash wearing at the EgonLab show??

Crocs and Lego share a common goal “to enable self-expression” and the clog “marks the beginning of a journey,” according to an emailed statement from Satwik Saraswati, Lego’s head of licensing, extended line design and partnerships.

The companies didn’t disclose financial terms of the partnership.

The clog debuted with rapper Tommy Cash at Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday. The collection will be available on both companies’ websites and will incorporate Lego’s brick plastic into the accompanying Jibbitz charms, which haven’t been unveiled.

Crocs is looking to reinvigorate its collaborations while boosting its presence in games and films. It’s also hosting livestreams on TikTok shop and in-person events, such as an upcoming pop-up experience in Shanghai to market the Lego collection. Additionally, Crocs is branching out beyond footwear with products including bags and phone cases.

(c) 2026, Bloomberg 

{Matzav.com}

MINNEAPOLIS – Businesses planned to close, union members to skip work and residents to forgo shopping in favor of marching downtown here on Friday, aiming to mount a significant economic protest against the Trump administration’s deployment of federal agents in Minnesota.

Organizers of the action, dubbed ICE Out of Minnesota: Day of Truth and Freedom, have called for residents to boycott work, school and shopping. Faith leaders, labor unions and business leaders have joined to promote the general strike, which calls for an immediate stop to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in the state, charges for the ICE officer who killed Renée Good and no additional funding for the agency from Congress in the next federal budget.

They are aiming for a statewide pause in “daily economic activity” to call attention to the tactics of federal agents and “show Minnesota’s moral heart and collective economic power,” organizers wrote online. A march is planned for 2 p.m. in Minneapolis, where the National Weather Service warned of possible minus-39 degree wind chill on Friday morning.

The strike and march come during the third week of tension in Minneapolis since Jan. 7, when Good was shot. In recent days, federal prosecutors subpoenaed the Minnesota governor and other officials, all Democrats; a 5-year-old was detained with his father in their driveway in a Minneapolis suburb; and the federal government arrested three activists in connection with a protest that disrupted a Sunday morning church service.

During a visit to the city Thursday, Vice President JD Vance – who had previously accused local leaders of stonewalling the federal deployment – said President Donald Trump had urged him to work with local leaders to “turn down the chaos a little bit, at least.”

Thousands of Minnesota residents, including many who do not normally identify as activists, have protested the federal government’s actions in the weeks since the Department of Homeland Security sent agents into the Twin Cities area with the stated mission of removing undocumented immigrants.

Residents and officials in Minnesota say federal agents have gone far beyond that brief, detaining U.S. citizens, pulling people from their cars, appearing to stop people on the basis of race, and using chemical irritants on people demonstrating against or monitoring their work.

Kimberly Case, 64, a Minneapolis native and retiree, braved the 4-degree snowstorm to protest outside the Vance event Thursday. Chase said she had been unable to stomach the fact that her niece and her classmates had been talking about digging a hole in their schoolyard to hide from ICE agents who might come to their school.

“We’re being invaded at all levels of society from kids to old people,” said Chase, who wore a battery-heated vest to fight the chill. “But it’s not working. If anything it’s making our community tighter.”

Court challenges to the Trump administration’s actions are now before federal judges. The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have sued to stop ICE’s deployment in the state, and civil liberties groups are representing Minnesota residents who say federal agents have violated their constitutional rights. A federal judge in one of the citizen suits last week barred DHS agents from arresting peaceful protesters, but this week an appeals court temporarily lifted that restriction while the litigation continues.

After the ICE officer killed Good this month, angry residents began protesting and the administration sent more federal agents to Minnesota, escalating tensions. A week later, on Jan. 14, an ICE officer shot 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg before arresting him and two other undocumented men at their home.

“What we have experienced and are experiencing in the state of Minnesota is not normal,” said JaNaé Bates Imari, auxiliary minister at Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Paul, at a Jan. 13 news conference announcing Friday’s action. “We have witnessed violence over and over again, families being ripped apart, loved ones being torn from their hospital beds, from their workplaces, from their homes.”

The Trump administration has defended its work as arresting criminals it calls dangerous and has characterized opposed residents as agitators getting in the way of the work of law enforcement.

“The fact that those groups want to shut down Minnesota’s economy, which provides law-abiding American citizens an honest living, to fight for illegal alien murderers, rapists, gang members, pedophiles, drug dealers, and terrorists says everything you need to know,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to The Post on the general strike.

On X this week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem claimed without providing evidence that the agency had arrested more than 10,000 undocumented immigrants in Minneapolis. The Post was unable to verify Noem’s number.

“Over the weekend in Minneapolis, the heroes of @ICEgov arrested more murderers, rapists, gang members, and perpetrators of fraud. A huge victory for public safety,” Noem posted Tuesday.

Bates Imari said that the way federal agents have operated has been dangerous and harmful to residents. She said the goal of Friday’s action is for Minnesotans to come together in opposition to the administration’s “swarm” of armed, masked agents in the state.

“We cannot allow this to continue,” she said. “If you ever wondered for yourself, when is the time that we do something different, when is the time that we stand up … the time is now.”

Prayer vigils were planned across the state for Friday morning. Some coffee shops planned to open without doing business to provide spaces for march attendees and ICE observers to warm up, offering free coffee and sign-making materials. One brewery planned to provide free hot dogs all day.

Other businesses said on social media that they would stay open out of consideration for employees’ wages but would donate a portion of their revenue to community nonprofits.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post 

{Matzav.com}

A winter storm covering much of the country and impacting about half the U.S. population begins cranking up Friday. In many places, it will threaten to be not only the biggest storm of winter so far but in years or even decades.

It will first sweep across the southern and central Rockies and east to the southern Plains. By the end of the weekend, it will impact the South, the Midwest, the Ohio Valley and much of the East Coast. A swath of snow from the plains of northeastern New Mexico to New England will deliver a wide zone of 6 to 12 inches. Some areas could see up to 1.5 feet. On the south edge of the snow swath, dangerous ice is expected in parts of the Deep South.

It’s all arriving with and followed by severe Arctic chill.

The Washington Post has detailed the forecast for a dozen of the cities expected to be hit hardest.

Below is a breakdown for several cities expected to be near the heart of the heavy snow band and how the National Weather Service suggests they will experience their largest snowfall in years.

– – –

Wichita

Wichita, in south-central Kansas, is expecting 7 to 12 inches of snow. The last snow of that nature happened in November 2023, when 7.8 inches fell. If the higher end of the forecast verifies, it would be the first time with 10 or more inches since 2013, when 14.2 inches fell in February.

Maximum snowfall in the region may fall between Wichita and Oklahoma City. It could be the snowiest in decades in some of these locations.

– – –

Springfield, Missouri

The recent snowstorm to beat in Springfield is 8.5 inches in early February 2022. If surpassed, the range of next events is 10 inches in early 2011 to 14.3 inches in December 2000.

The forecast in Springfield’s part of southern Missouri was for 8 to 14 inches.

– – –

St. Louis

As the storm shifts somewhat north versus the earlier forecast, St. Louis finds itself with a climbing forecast of 6 to 11 inches.

The city had two storms over 6 inches just last year. At the high end of forecast, it could challenge a 10.9-inch storm in January 2019 as its recent biggest.

– – –

Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington is forecast to get 13 inches of snow. A stripe from Louisville to Lexington and eastward along Interstate 64 is looking at a foot or more.

If 13 inches falls, it will be biggest in the city since one in March 2015 that dropped 17.1 inches there.

– – –

Cincinnati

Cincinnati had a sizable snowstorm this time last year, with 10.6 inches falling. However, the forecast of 11 inches there could move this storm into the top 10 snowstorms for the city if it verifies.

– – –

Pittsburgh

The Steel City hasn’t seen a double-digit snowstorm since December 2020 in a storm that dropped 11 inches. It just missed with 9.7 inches in March 2022.

The storm forecast of 12 inches would make it the biggest since February 2010, when 21.1 inches was tallied during a historic Ohio Valley to Mid-Atlantic blizzard.

– – –

Philadelphia

It has been exactly a decade since Philadelphia witnessed a snowstorm surpassing 8.1 inches. That event was the historic January 2016 blizzard that dropped 22.4 inches.

Philadelphia is expecting about 13 inches.

– – –

New York

Like Philadelphia, the forecast calls for 13 inches in New York.

A typically snowier spot among big cities, the Big Apple has not seen a double-digit storm since February 2021, when a 17.2-inch storm occurred. It appeared it might end that streak with a snowstorm around a month ago, but it trended north at the last minute.

– – –

Hartford, Connecticut

Another snowy city, Hartford hasn’t seen a big one recently. The 13 to 14 inches forecast there would be the largest since 2019. In December of that year, a storm dropped 13.8 inches. The last time Hartford topped a foot was in 2021.

To its northeast, snowy Boston is also looking to end a streak of nearly four years without a double-digit storm. Topping the 23.8 inches in late January 2022 will be tough.

– – –

High-end ice in parts of the South

To the south of the snow swath, a crippling ice storm is anticipated in a broken line from around East Texas to the Mid-Atlantic coast. A few cities face a particularly notable threat.

Tupelo, Mississippi

Tupelo, much of northern Mississippi and a zone stretching from northern Louisiana to south-central Tennessee is staring down a potentially historic ice storm, with an inch or more accretion forecast.

It will be the biggest storm in the region since February 2021, but that event was more snow and sleet. For a freezing rain event of similar nature, look back to 1996 or 1994. The latter dropped up to several inches of freezing rain on parts of the state, leaving some in the dark for weeks.

Georgia to the Carolinas

The worst ice in Georgia to the Carolinas will be tucked just east of the highest terrain of the southern Appalachians, wedged in there by powerful Arctic high pressure moving east in tandem with the storm.

A widespread portion of the multistate region could see half an inch to as much as an inch of ice. A forecast just shy of three-quarters of an inch in Charlotte could make it the worst ice storm since 2002 there.

– – –

Historic cold on the back of the storm

Those who miss out on the big snow deeper in the South will eventually be blanketed by record cold. In areas that receive snow, sleet and freezing rain, it will tend to stick around for a while with plentiful cold to come after the storm.

Dallas

The Jan. 26 record of 12 from 1904 is forecast to be demolished with a low of 7 on Monday.

Tulsa

A forecast of minus-6 on Monday would crush the daily record of 7 that was set in 1963.

Brownsville, Texas

At the southern tip of Texas, a low of 31 on Monday would beat the record of 32 from 1940.

Washington

A low of 5 on Tuesday would break the daily record of 6 from 1935. This would tie for the coldest since 1994 with Feb. 20, 2015, and Feb. 5, 1996.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post 

President Donald Trump on Friday drew attention to a predicted blast of extreme winter weather across much of the United States, using the forecast to once again challenge warnings about climate change.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump cited projections calling for unusually cold conditions across large swaths of the country. “Record Cold Wave expected to hit 40 States,” Trump wrote.
“Rarely seen anything like it before. Could the Environmental Insurrectionists please explain — WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???”

The remarks came as utilities, transportation agencies, and emergency responders braced for a powerful winter system pushing toward the eastern two-thirds of the nation. Thousands of utility crews were placed on alert, airlines canceled flights, and consumers rushed to buy bottled water as forecasts warned of potentially widespread damage, extended power outages, and dangerous cold.

Meteorologists say the sprawling storm could unleash a severe ice event stretching from Texas through parts of the South, dump close to a foot of snow from Oklahoma through Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston, and then usher in an Arctic air mass capable of driving wind chills down to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit in portions of Minnesota and North Dakota.

Weather forecasters cautioned that the destruction — particularly in regions coated with ice — could be comparable to hurricane-level impacts. Roughly 160 million Americans were under winter storm alerts or extreme cold warnings, with many areas facing both hazards at once.

Trump has frequently cast doubt on climate change and has argued that episodes of extreme cold weaken arguments about long-term global warming. In his latest post, he pointed to the looming freeze as evidence, in his view, that climate activists overstate or misrepresent shifts in the planet’s climate.

Climate scientists and meteorologists have consistently emphasized that single weather events, including intense cold snaps, do not contradict the broader trend of rising global temperatures.

Experts regularly stress the difference between short-term weather and long-term climate patterns, explaining that extreme cold can still occur in certain regions even as average global temperatures climb over decades.

Trump’s comments were issued as he continues to campaign while opposing federal initiatives designed to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

During his presidency, Trump reversed a number of environmental regulations and initiated the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris climate agreement, a move later undone by President Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, weather officials across the country urged residents to keep a close eye on local forecasts, plan for possible power outages, and guard against frostbite and hypothermia during prolonged exposure to frigid conditions.

Depending on how long and how intensely the cold wave lasts, officials warned it could disrupt travel, strain energy supplies, and force changes to school schedules.

Emergency management agencies also advised households to ensure adequate heating, safeguard pets and plumbing from freezing, and check in on elderly or vulnerable neighbors as temperatures plunge.

{Matzav.com}

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on President Donald Trump to issue an apology following remarks in which Trump suggested that NATO allies failed to fight on the front lines alongside U.S. forces during the war in Afghanistan, comments that sparked sharp backlash across the United Kingdom.

Speaking during an interview with Fox News at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, Trump questioned whether NATO would come to America’s aid if called upon, asserting that allied forces did not fully engage in combat during the Afghan conflict. The comments quickly ignited anger and deep distress in Britain, particularly among military families and veterans.

“We’ve never needed them, we have never really asked anything of them,” Trump said. “You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that, and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”

The remarks stand in contrast to the history of the Afghanistan war, which began in October 2001, less than a month after the September 11 attacks. A U.S.-led coalition launched the invasion to dismantle al-Qaida and remove the Taliban regime that sheltered the group. NATO’s mutual-defense clause was formally invoked for the first time following the attacks, bringing forces from dozens of allied nations into the campaign alongside American troops.

In London, the reaction was immediate and emotional. Starmer paid tribute to the 457 British service members who lost their lives in Afghanistan and said Trump’s comments were deeply offensive.

“I will never forget their courage, their bravery and the sacrifice they made for their country,” Starmer said. “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling and I am not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, in fact, across the country.”

After 9/11, then–Prime Minister Tony Blair pledged that Britain would “stand shoulder to shoulder” with the United States. British forces went on to play a major role in combat operations, particularly in Helmand Province, until the UK withdrew its troops in 2014. U.S. forces remained in Afghanistan until their withdrawal in 2021, which culminated in the Taliban’s return to power.

More than 150,000 British troops served in Afghanistan over the course of the conflict, making the UK the largest contributor after the United States.

Ben Obese-Jecty, a British lawmaker who served as a captain in the Royal Yorkshire Regiment during the war, said Trump’s remarks diminished the sacrifices made by allied forces. It was “sad to see our nation’s sacrifice, and that of our NATO partners, held so cheaply by the president of the United States,” he said.

The controversy intensified because the comments came from a president who did not serve in the Vietnam War despite being eligible at the time. Trump received a deferment due to bone spurs, though he has been unable to recall which foot was affected, a point that has long fueled criticism.

“It’s hugely ironic that someone who allegedly dodged the draft for the Vietnam War should make such a disgraceful statement,” said Stephen Stewart, author of The Accidental Soldier, which chronicles his time embedded with British troops in Afghanistan.

Trump’s comments were not an isolated incident. In recent days, he has repeatedly downplayed NATO’s reliability while escalating rhetoric over Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, including threats of economic retaliation against European nations that oppose U.S. ambitions there.

His claim that NATO allies would not stand by the United States clashes with established fact. NATO’s Article 5 — the alliance’s core collective defense commitment — has been invoked only once, in response to the 9/11 attacks, obligating all members to assist the United States.

“When America needed us after 9/11 we were there,” said former Danish platoon commander Martin Tamm Andersen. Denmark lost 44 soldiers in Afghanistan, the highest per capita death toll among coalition partners, with eight more killed in Iraq.

The latest remarks arrive at the end of a turbulent week for Trump on the international stage, marked by criticism over his approach to Greenland and concerns about the strain on trans-Atlantic ties. While he later struck a more conciliatory tone after meeting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, saying they had outlined a “framework” for Arctic security cooperation, the damage to relations has lingered.

For families of the wounded and fallen, the remarks cut especially deep. Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson suffered devastating injuries in a 2006 land mine explosion in Afghanistan, described Trump’s words as “the ultimate insult” and urged Starmer to confront him directly.

“Call him out,” she said. “Make a stand for those who fought for this country and for our flag, because it’s just beyond belief.”

Responding to her appeal, Starmer said, “I’ve made my position clear, and what I say to Diane is, if I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologize and I’d apologize to her.”

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: Five were arrested following the shooting of an Indiana judge and his wife.

Sean Duffy: “We have 40,000 deaths a year on American roads. We want to make it safer, Gavin Newsom is making it more dangerous. So what we’re going to do is we pulled money from him — almost $160m in one tranche, $40m in a different pot — but if they don’t come into compliance, […]

Sec. Duffy: “Under Joe Biden’s administration, whether it was 10 or 15 million people came into the country, Joe Biden gave them work permits and one of the easiest things for them to do was go to a crackpot commercial driver license school and go get a license and hit the roads.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declares a state of emergency ahead of the upcoming snowstorm.

IDF Spokesman Ahead of Shabbos: No Change to Home Front Guidelines Despite Tensions With Iran “Towards Shabbos, I want to say to all citizens of Israel — the IDF is optimally prepared, both in defense and in offense. It is important to emphasize: there is no change to the Home Front Command guidelines. We will […]

TRUMP: Record cold weight expected to hit 40 states. Rarely seen anything like it before. Could the environmental insurrectionist please explain – WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING?

Dozens of South Koreans allegedly involved in online scams in Cambodia were returned to South Korea on Friday to face investigations in what was the largest group repatriation of Korean criminal suspects from abroad. The 73 South Korean suspects allegedly scammed fellow Koreans out of 48.6 billion won ($33 million), according to a South Korean […]

National Weather Service Director Ken Graham gives a warning ahead of this weekend’s winter storm: “The big thing is just stay off the roads. Listen to the local officials… we’re going to have large areas of sleet, making travel absolutely hazardous.”

Mayor Mamdani is telling NYC kids to forget about a traditional snow day on Monday — no matter the forecast. Public school students can at best hope for remote classes early next week as the city braces for a monster storm that the mayor has said is expected to bring “3–16 inches of snow.” “I […]

Amid ongoing tensions with Iran, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin reassured the Israeli public on Friday that there are currently no changes to the Home Front Command’s safety guidelines. In a statement issued ahead of Shabbos, Defrin emphasized that the IDF remains fully prepared on all fronts. “Towards Shabbos, I want to say to […]

A new survey paints a stark picture of how Israel’s chareidi public views the current political climate, with an overwhelming majority saying hostility toward them is on the rise amid the ongoing debate over the draft law and intensified public rhetoric.

According to the representative poll of chareidi respondents aired on Channel 14, 93% said they sense an increase in hatred directed at their community in public discourse. Only a small minority reported feeling no change. For many respondents, the sentiment reflects what they described as sustained collective blame and deep-seated animosity they likened to antisemitic-style hostility.

When participants were asked where they feel the harshest expressions of hatred originate, 46% pointed to voters of opposition parties. Another 27% said they primarily experience hostility from supporters of Naftali Bennett. Nine percent attributed it to right-wing voters, another 9% to the media, 5% to the judicial system, and 4% said they were unsure.

The survey also examined satisfaction levels with how Knesset members are handling pressing issues facing the chareidi community. Sixty-four percent of respondents said they are satisfied with the performance of their representatives, while 36% said they are dissatisfied.

Respondents were further asked whether leading rabbinic authorities should instruct the entry of a younger, new chareidi slate into the Knesset. On that question, 48% said they have no opinion, 38% said yes, and 13% said no.

Despite the crisis surrounding the draft law and the withdrawal of chareidi parties from the governing coalition, most respondents said they still identify with the religious-right bloc. Sixty-nine percent reported feeling part of the “emunah bloc” and the right-wing camp, while 31% said they do not.

{Matzav.com}

Knesset member Yinon Azoulay addressed threats, protests, and harassment directed at him in recent weeks during an interview on the Kol Chai program Ossim Seder, hosted by Yisrael Meir, amid the ongoing public dispute surrounding the draft law.

Azoulay made clear that he has no intention of backing down from his position, saying his actions stem from a clear sense of mission. “I listen to the gedolei Torah. They sent me on this mission. Anyone who thinks I am, G-d forbid, intimidated by a protest or by any kind of violence is mistaken,” he said.

He stressed that pressure does not deter him, even when it comes from within the chareidi public itself. “Not from the Peleg Yerushalmi and not from anyone. We act, plainly and simply, according to daas Torah—right is left and left is right,” Azoulay said, adding that personal intimidation attempts will not influence his public stance or conduct.

At the same time, Azoulay drew a firm line when it comes to his family. “I have zero tolerance for any harm to my family. My children are part of my family, and they will not be touched,” he said emphatically.

He explained that while protest against him personally is legitimate, targeting his family crosses an unacceptable boundary. “Anyone who wants to demonstrate, let them demonstrate under my house. Anyone who wants to cause harm, let them come to me, not to my children.”

Azoulay went on to say that he is not afraid of demonstrations or personal threats. “I’m not afraid. I’m a public servant. Let them come and protest and do whatever they want,” he said, while sharply condemning acts of violence and thuggish behavior. “At some point, this ugly phenomenon of people coming to beat others and act violently has to be stopped. There is absolutely no justification for it.”

He concluded by reiterating that his position on the draft law and his broader public conduct are rooted in commitment to Torah values and the guidance of leading rabbinic authorities, and that no external pressure will change that, so long as clear boundaries of law, morality, and protection of family are maintained.

{Matzav.com}

Syrian government forces took control Friday of a prison housing members of the Islamic State group in the north of the country, after hundreds of Kurdish fighters evacuated from the area as part of a recent deal. Syria’s Interior Ministry said in a statement that the government’s prisons authority is now in charge of al-Aqtan […]

Argentine President Javier Milei surprised attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos by weaving a Torah insight into his address, referencing the weekly parshas hashovua, Parshas Bo, to frame his critique of excessive state power and his broader worldview.

Milei had just завершed a forceful speech championing free-market capitalism and describing the United States as a “beacon of light” for the Western world. From there, he pivoted to the Torah portion of the week, using it as a lens through which to view modern global affairs.

“Parashat Bo describes the moment when Moses confronts Pharaoh, a symbol of the oppressive power of the state,” Milei said.

He went on to explain how the sequence of makos that followed Pharaoh’s refusal to release Bnei Yisrael carried enduring meaning. He noted that when Pharaoh “did not free the Hebrew people… the plague of locusts arrived, which signifies famine. Then came the plague of darkness, which signifies the loss of clarity in decision-making. Finally, the plague of the death of the firstborn, which lays bare the fate of a society that denies freedom.”

WATCH:

https://twitter.com/i/status/2014354188847693897

Milei concluded that the message is directly relevant to the present era, adding, “The analogy to what is happening today in the West is strikingly clear.”

The Argentine leader has consistently voiced strong support for Israel and revealed in 2024 that he has Jewish roots, after his grandfather discovered shortly before his passing that he was Jewish.

During his election campaign, Milei pledged that his first official trip abroad as president would be to Israel, a commitment he fulfilled shortly after taking office.

Last year, Milei was honored with the Genesis Prize, recognizing his outspoken and steadfast backing of Israel at a time when many countries have distanced themselves from the Jewish state.

{Matzav.com}