Senator John Fetterman was taken to the hospital on Thursday morning after tripping and hitting his face while walking near his Braddock, Pennsylvania home. His office said the move was made “out of an abundance of caution.”
Medical staff later determined that the Pennsylvania senator experienced a “ventricular fibrillation flare-up,” a condition in which the heart fails to pump blood properly.
Fetterman, who suffered a stroke in 2022 just months before his successful Senate run, was admitted for monitoring and medication adjustments. “He is doing well and receiving routine observation at the hospital,” his office said in a statement. “He has opted to stay so doctors can fine-tune his medication regimen. Senator Fetterman is grateful for the EMTs, doctors, and nurses who are providing his care.”
According to his team, the 56-year-old lawmaker had felt “light-headed” before the fall and sustained minor injuries. He managed to keep his sense of humor, remarking, “If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now!”
The incident occurred just two days after the release of his memoir, Unfettered, in which he discusses his personal struggles with health issues, including a bout of depression during the early months of his Senate tenure.
{Matzav.com}
In the days following his mayoral victory, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has been quietly reaching out to key Democratic governors to discuss how best to confront President Trump and to prepare for potential challenges his administration may bring. Axios reports that these conversations have included three governors frequently mentioned as possible 2028 presidential contenders, indicating that Mamdani is drawing guidance from across the Democratic spectrum as he prepares to govern.
According to individuals familiar with the discussions, Mamdani spoke with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday and with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on election night. Earlier, he had also connected with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Each conversation reportedly touched on how their respective states and cities have navigated the political turbulence brought by Trump’s actions and policies.
Mamdani’s decision to engage specifically with governors whose states contain major urban centers — such as Chicago, Baltimore, and Philadelphia — is no accident. These cities, like New York, have been frequent targets of Trump’s aggressive federal actions, from immigration raids to proposed National Guard deployments. The discussions reflected shared concerns over how to safeguard their residents and maintain autonomy under federal pressure.
Sources say Mamdani and Pritzker delved into strategy regarding Trump’s potential moves toward New York, drawing from Illinois’s prior experiences when the president deployed federal forces to the Chicago area. Their exchange came amid heightened tensions after Trump branded Mamdani a “communist” and warned that New York City’s federal funding could be at risk if he took office.
Discussions with Governor Moore extended beyond Trump. Mamdani reportedly praised Moore’s initiatives to streamline bureaucracy and boost small business development, seeking advice on ways to promote innovation in city governance. Their teams have also shared perspectives on managing federal-state tensions and navigating the national spotlight.
Mamdani’s earlier conversation with Governor Shapiro centered on issues of antisemitism and Israel, a call the mayor-elect himself initiated. Shapiro, who is Jewish, later confirmed the discussion to reporters, adding that they also spoke about reforms to streamline government permitting processes — an area where both leaders share interest in modernization and efficiency.
The governors Mamdani has turned to represent different wings of the Democratic Party. Pritzker, a progressive heavyweight, has made headlines for taking a combative stance toward Trump, once telling him, “You come for my people, you come through me.” Shapiro, by contrast, has struck a more moderate tone, while Moore has tried to balance collaboration with firmness — saying after Trump’s election that he would work to benefit Marylanders, but warning, “We do not need occupiers,” when Trump threatened to send the National Guard to Baltimore. Moore recently unveiled a redistricting commission to resist what he described as “Trump-inspired moves in other states,” adding, “We’re not just going to sit on our hands because Donald Trump tells us to.”
Within Democratic circles, Mamdani’s next steps are being closely monitored. Party strategists believe his leadership in New York could set the tone for Democrats nationwide, shaping future narratives around progressive governance in an era dominated by Trump’s influence. Many potential candidates for upcoming elections are already considering whether aligning with Mamdani could prove politically advantageous.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, another potential presidential contender, noted that he sent congratulatory texts to Mamdani and other Democrats after their recent wins. For Mamdani, these alliances appear to be part of a deliberate effort to prepare for direct confrontation with Trump while surrounding himself with Democrats who have faced similar battles.
Mamdani has pledged to coordinate closely with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to counter any attempts by Trump to undermine the city’s autonomy. In his victory speech, he declared, “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.”
{Matzav.com}
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu brushed aside concerns about visiting New York after its newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, vowed to have him arrested upon arrival. Speaking in an interview with Australian journalist Erin Molan, Netanyahu made it clear he wasn’t intimidated. “No. I’m not afraid. What do you want me to say about Mamdani? What about him?” he replied when asked about the controversial mayor’s comments.
Turning from the political to the ideological, Netanyahu used the opportunity to highlight the sharp contrast between his worldview and that of Mamdani. He recalled Israel’s transition from semi-socialism to a free-market economy under his leadership, crediting those reforms with transforming the Jewish state into a global innovation and technology hub.
He warned that the ideologies embraced by figures like Mamdani often carry dangerous undercurrents of antisemitism. “Antisemitism usually collapses societies,” Netanyahu said, “it starts with the Jews, then goes to the blacks, the gays, the Hispanics… and it just collapses societies.” He cautioned that New York, if led by such thinking, could face a “very dim future.”
Asked whether he would be willing to meet or engage in discussion with the new mayor, Netanyahu’s response was curt and pointed. “I have a lot of dialogues that I’m engaged in right now, a lot. And I think this one, I think he should get his act together before he makes these statements.”
Netanyahu added a sharp critique of Mamdani’s lack of experience and understanding, underscoring that leadership requires more than youthful enthusiasm. “It’s good to be a young leader, but it’s not good to be a young, uneducated leader,” he remarked. He urged the mayor to “brush up” on basic subjects like economics and antisemitism before attempting serious discourse.
Despite the evident tension, Netanyahu’s tone carried an undercurrent of pragmatism. While he signaled openness to dialogue, his message was unmistakable: meaningful conversation can only happen once Mamdani gains the knowledge and perspective necessary to speak responsibly.
{Matzav.com}
Naftali Bennett issued a scathing denunciation of proposals suggesting that Gaza’s post-war security be overseen by international forces, warning that such a move would severely compromise Israel’s safety. The former prime minister and defense minister took particular issue with suggestions that Qatar or Turkey could play a role in that framework.
“Transferring security control in Gaza to multinational forces—some of which are hostile, like Turkey, endangers Israel’s security,” Bennett cautioned.
He accused the government of contemplating a dangerous repetition of past mistakes. “Handing over control of our destiny to Hamas-sponsoring Qatar and to [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan is Oslo on steroids,” he declared, referring to the failed Oslo Accords that many Israelis view as a catalyst for years of bloodshed.
Reflecting on the October 7 attacks, Bennett said that Israel’s foremost lesson from that tragedy must be eternal vigilance. “If there’s one takeaway burned into us from the October 7 failure, it’s that we cannot afford to fall asleep and hope for the best. The IDF must always have the freedom to act—to ‘mow the grass,’ to address threats while they’re still small, before they turn into terror monsters like we’ve experienced in the south and the north.”
He lambasted what he described as an erosion of Israeli sovereignty and independence in military operations. “How did we get to a point where our soldiers must coordinate the movement of Israeli forces with the American command center in Kiryat Gat? Israel is not a protectorate,” Bennett charged.
Concluding with a demand for transparency, Bennett called on the government to reveal any deals or understandings being struck without public oversight. “I demand the immediate publication of all commitments and concessions being made behind the backs of Israeli citizens. What is the declared or hidden motive of the Israeli government in agreeing to surrender our security and freedom of action? The citizens of Israel deserve full transparency regarding their safety.”
{Matzav.com}
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, in a wide-ranging interview with Australian journalist Erin Molan, addressed President Donald Trump’s letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog urging a pardon for Netanyahu.
Speaking candidly, Netanyahu expressed gratitude to Trump while rejecting any notion of admitting guilt. “Regarding the pardon request? I will think about it. I will definitely not admit guilt. I am grateful to President Trump; he speaks the truth. This trial is ridiculous. I spend three days a week, imagine, conducting a war and expanding peace, and three days in court talking about why my son Yair, when he was five, received a Bugs Bunny doll or cigars from friends. It’s ridiculous, the case is falling apart,” Netanyahu said.
He noted that the drawn-out proceedings have become a source of embarrassment for prosecutors and have long since lost public interest. “The news stopped covering it; it’s embarrassing for the prosecution, and President Trump essentially called it a political witch hunt.”
Netanyahu further emphasized that the ongoing trial is not just a personal distraction but a national burden. “It harms both American and Israeli interests, which is also what Trump said. My time should be free to pursue the issues that will determine Israel’s future and its place in the Middle East.”
{Matzav.com}As negotiations over a new draft law drag on with no legislation yet in sight, MK Meir Porush, head of the Shlomei Emunim faction, issued a stark warning in a wide-ranging interview in Hebrew with Kikar HaShabbat. Matzav.com presents portions of the interview here.
Porush described the situation of the chareidi public as the worst it has been “since the establishment of the State,” citing the arrests of yeshiva students and financial sanctions, and cautioned that continued arrests could provoke mass unrest.
“The fact that we have no law regulating the status of yeshiva students — that’s the root of all this,” Porush said. “As long as there is no law, whatever they’re doing to us now is just a fraction of what’s coming.” He pointed to the Supreme Court’s past rulings striking down deferments for Torah study, saying, “It began when the court ruled that thousands of yeshiva students cannot be exempt just because they’re learning Torah — because Torah study is not listed as a legitimate reason for deferment. You see the judicial activism at play.”
Porush lamented that the chareidi parties had failed to insist on passing the draft law before the coalition was formed. “Even at the time, I said — not behind closed doors — that everyone looked out for their own priorities. Smotrich, Ben Gvir, Netanyahu — each made sure his own law passed before the government was established. But the draft law was delayed. No one asked me if I agreed. Decisions were made elsewhere, and that’s how we got here.”
The veteran MK said the arrests of yeshiva students were a misguided approach. “This won’t work,” he stated. “Trying to force us — it won’t help. You can’t draft the chareidi public into the army by coercion when we have our own worldview about the army. Arrests won’t change that.”
Porush warned that the growing number of arrests could ignite a public backlash. “If the arrests intensify, our community will certainly rise up. People will not accept it. There will be a response — I don’t know what kind, but it will be real and forceful.”
He rejected claims that the IDF targets Sephardi yeshiva students disproportionately, saying, “When they come to our neighborhoods, there’s always a large crowd, so the army can’t act. They pick places where they can come at two in the morning when fewer people gather. It’s not about Ashkenazim or Sephardim — I don’t accept that view.”
Asked about the proposed draft bill put forward by MK Boaz Bismuth, Porush said he has not yet reviewed the final version. “I don’t know what the law says officially. I know what was leaked, but that’s not the final text. When I go to speak with the rabbonim, I prefer not to confuse them until there’s a final draft to review and discuss.”
Porush emphasized that he was never part of any agreement that included recruitment targets or sanctions. “I warned at a Cabinet meeting that these targets and sanctions were never approved by the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel,” he said. “They told me, ‘You don’t know everything,’ but my position is clear — I’ll do whatever the Gedolei HaTorah instruct.”
Asked whether he supports drafting those who are not learning, Porush replied, “Don’t ask me about those who don’t learn. First, restore what always existed — the arrangement where those who sit and learn receive deferments. Reestablish that, and then we can discuss anything else. They stole the very foundation of our agreement — bring it back first.”
He added firmly, “I won’t hint at compromise. I’m not ready to give up anything. First, return what was ours — then we’ll talk.”
Regarding whether the chareidi parties would bring down the government if the draft law isn’t passed, Porush said, “You have to ask yourself: If we break everything and go to elections, what did we accomplish? Did we pass a law? No. So what’s the point?”
Still, he noted, “The coalition can’t pass any law without the chareidim. We’re not advancing their legislation as a form of protest — they feel it. If they tell us, ‘You won’t get your law,’ then we’ll say goodbye.”
On Prime Minister Netanyahu’s handling of the issue, Porush was candid: “We have our complaints. He’s capable, and when he wants something, he knows how to make it happen. Of course he could have done more to move this forward — he knows this is our central issue. He didn’t help us enough, and that’s a valid criticism. But sometimes, even when he wanted to act, he faced legal advisers who constantly push back. That’s the reality.”
{Matzav.com}
