Feed aggregator

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman urged New York State on Tuesday to formally adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, making the appeal on the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Blakeman, the Nassau County executive and the presumptive Republican nominee for governor, made his remarks on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. He faulted Gov. Kathy Hochul for what he said was her refusal to fully adopt the IHRA definition and criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for eliminating it from city law.

“New York State has not adopted the definition,” Blakeman said Tuesday, according to the New York Post.

Appearing alongside Israel’s consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, Blakeman continued, “On top of that, Mayor Adams, who adopted the definition, was overturned by the new mayor, Zohran Mamdani. We believe this is a disgrace, it is an injustice, and we are demanding our elected officials adopt that definition.”

The IHRA working definition outlines antisemitism in its many manifestations, including hatred and discrimination directed at Jews, Holocaust denial, and, in some cases, how antisemitism can intersect with certain forms of criticism of Israel.

To date, 37 states and Washington, D.C., have adopted or endorsed the IHRA definition, along with numerous countries around the world.

In June 2025, then–New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order formally recognizing the IHRA working definition of antisemitism.

That action was undone on Mamdani’s first day in office, when he issued an executive order rescinding all directives signed by Adams after September 26, 2024. As a result, the IHRA recognition was nullified, along with an Adams-era order barring mayoral appointees and city agency employees from participating in boycotts or divestment efforts targeting Israel.

Jewish organizations have reported a significant increase in antisemitic incidents nationwide since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks, citing spikes in threats, vandalism, physical assaults, and attacks on synagogues.

Hochul has pointed to a 2022 proclamation she signed recognizing the IHRA definition as a guidance tool. She told The Post that she was “proud” of that action and said her administration has taken “comprehensive measures to protect Jewish New Yorkers and stand up to antisemitism.”

Blakeman rejected that approach in his comments Tuesday, arguing that a proclamation falls short and accusing both Mamdani and Hochul of backing policies he characterized as antisemitic.

“Potentially criticizing [Israel] for the way they act, when they were acting in self-defense, to me, is something that defies logic,” he said, referring to Israel’s response to the October 7 attacks.

Blakeman received President Donald Trump’s endorsement in the race for New York governor after Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who had been expected to run against Hochul, announced she was ending her campaign.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Tuesday softened his initial response to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, backing away from early administration claims that labeled Pretti a “terrorist” and an “assassin” as public outrage and video evidence undercut those assertions. Trump initially echoed that posture, posting a lengthy social media […]

Amazon is slashing about 16,000 corporate jobs in the second round of mass layoffs for the ecommerce company in three months. The tech giant has said it plans to use generative artificial intelligence to replace corporate workers. It has also been reducing a workforce that swelled during the pandemic. Beth Galetti, a senior vice president […]

A rabbi was assaulted Tuesday afternoon in a brazen antisemitic attack on a public street in New York City, after a man hurled slurs at him, struck him in the face, and knocked him to the ground before fleeing the scene. The suspect was later apprehended.

The attack took place at approximately 2:30 p.m. Tuesday near Queens Boulevard in the Forest Hills neighborhood. According to reports, the assailant approached the rabbi and began shouting antisemitic insults, including calling him “Dirty Jew,” before punching him in the face and throwing him to the ground.

Eyewitnesses said the suspect continued to behave in a threatening manner, making menacing gestures and forming his hands into the shape of a gun, which he pointed at the victim before escaping on foot.

Despite the assault, the rabbi managed to photograph the suspect and immediately contacted police and alerted the Queens Shomrim. By the time law enforcement arrived in the area, the attacker had already fled.

Shomrim volunteers quickly launched a search of nearby streets and transportation hubs. One volunteer eventually spotted the suspect walking toward a nearby train station, discreetly followed him, and then stopped the train the suspect boarded, buying crucial time for police to arrive and make the arrest.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the attack, calling it “an act of hate,” and stressed that such incidents are unacceptable in the city.

Authorities continue to investigate the incident.

{Matzav.com}

Congressman Pat Ryan, who serves as the U.S. representative for New York’s 18th congressional district, sent a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu asking him to intervene on the sanctions imposed by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miraa on bnei yeshivos with dual Israeli-US citizenship. The letter was the initiative of UT MK Meir Porush, who stated: […]

WATCH:

The wife of South Korea’s ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced on Wednesday to 20 months in prison for corruption, as her husband awaits a verdict on a high-stakes rebellion charge that could result in the death penalty or life imprisonment. Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim Keon Yee for receiving luxury gifts like a Graff diamond […]

The levaya of Master Sgt. Ran Guili H’yd, a Yassam officer who fell in battle on October 7 and whose body was the last hostage to be returned to Israel earlier this week, began on Wednesday morning. A ceremony was held at the Shura military base near Ramle, and a police convoy then escorted the […]

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bitachon4Life-Shiur-1692-Chikuy-Part-92-The-World.mp3

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

 

A war of words ensued between the former advisers of former US President Joe Biden and Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal, following Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s harsh statements against the Biden administration at a press conference on Tuesday evening. Netanyahu said: “At a certain point in the war, we didn’t have enough ammunition, and soldiers […]

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Stories4Life-Shiur-532-Silence-Chazon-Ish.mp3

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Tefila4Life-Shiur-1045-Close-Halelu-Min-Hashamayim.mp3

US President Donald Trump issued another threat to Iran during a speech he delivered at a rally in Iowa on Wednesday evening “There’s another beautiful armada floating beautifully toward Iran right now,” Trump said, referring to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three accompanying warships deployed to the Middle East amid Trump’s threats to […]

Two federal immigration officers fired their weapons during the deadly confrontation that left armed anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti dead in Minneapolis over the weekend, according to a preliminary Department of Homeland Security review released Tuesday.

The internal DHS assessment states that Pretti, 37, and another woman who was blowing a whistle at officers repeatedly ignored “several verbal requests” to leave the roadway. When both individuals refused to comply, officers attempted to arrest them, the review said.

“The woman and Pretti did not move,” DHS reported, leading a Customs and Border Protection officer to deploy pepper spray on both individuals.

As officers tried to take Pretti into custody, he “resisted,” and “a struggle ensued,” according to the review. During the scuffle, a Border Patrol agent was heard yelling, “He’s got a gun!”

Roughly five seconds later, one of the Border Patrol agents opened fire on Pretti.

A Customs and Border Protection officer also discharged his weapon during the encounter.

Video evidence reviewed by DHS shows that at least 10 shots were fired in total. Investigators said it remains unclear whether Pretti’s own firearm discharged during the incident.

According to the review, a Border Patrol agent informed other federal officers after the shooting that he had taken possession of Pretti’s Sig P320 handgun.

Federal agents then attempted to render emergency medical assistance to Pretti, who was employed as an intensive care unit nurse. He was pronounced dead within approximately 30 minutes of the confrontation.

An autopsy is currently being conducted by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.

DHS said the preliminary review relied on body-worn camera footage and internal Customs and Border Protection records.

The findings have been forwarded to congressional oversight committees responsible for monitoring the Department of Homeland Security.

Pretti’s death marked the second fatal shooting of an anti-ICE protester in Minnesota in less than a month.

On Jan. 7, Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed by an ICE agent after she blocked a Minneapolis roadway with her vehicle and drove toward an officer.

“I think the whole thing is terrible,” President Trump said Tuesday while discussing Pretti’s death during an appearance on Fox News. “I don’t like the fact that he was carrying a gun that was fully loaded, and he had two magazines with him — and it’s pretty unusual, but nobody knows when they saw the gun, how they saw the gun, everything else.

“Bottom line, it was terrible.”

Following the shooting, Trump moved Monday to remove Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino from his role leading “Operation Metro Surge” in Minneapolis and to redeploy some of the agents involved.

“We have Tom Homan there now,” Trump said on “The Will Cain Show,” adding that his border czar intends to “de-escalate a little bit.”

{Matzav.com}

The chief federal judge in Minnesota says the Trump administration has failed to comply with orders to hold hearings for detained immigrants and ordered the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to appear before him Friday to explain why he should not be held in contempt. In an order dated Monday, Chief Judge Patrick J. […]

Rep. Ilhan Omar was confronted and sprayed with an unidentified liquid Tuesday night after a man rushed the stage with a syringe during a turbulent town hall event in Minnesota, prompting a swift police response and bipartisan condemnation.

According to witnesses and law enforcement, the incident unfolded as Omar stood at the lectern sharply criticizing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and urging the abolition of ICE. A man later identified as Anthony Kazmierczak surged forward from the front row, shouting inaudible comments, and discharged liquid from a syringe toward Omar’s upper body.

Observers said the syringe appeared to contain an amber-colored substance.

As the assailant retreated, Omar chased after him and appeared poised to strike before security intervened. The man was tackled and escorted out of the North Minneapolis venue.

“I need a napkin,” Omar was heard telling a staffer over a live microphone.

Staff members pressed the congresswoman to seek medical evaluation, but she declined.

“No, we will continue. I’m fine,” Omar said.

One aide remarked on the odor of the substance, saying, “it smells so bad.”

After a brief pause, Omar returned to the microphone and resumed her remarks.

“We are Minnesota strong, and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us,” she told the audience while the suspect was still being removed.

Minneapolis police officers arrested the 55-year-old Kazmierczak and booked him into the Hennepin County Jail on a charge of third-degree assault, according to Minneapolis Police Department Public Information Officer Trevor Folke.

“Representative Omar was uninjured and resumed speaking at the event,” Folke said.

Police also confirmed that Minneapolis forensic scientists were dispatched to the Urban League Twin Cities building to examine and process the scene.

Roughly an hour after the confrontation, Omar addressed the incident publicly on social media.

“I’m ok,” she wrote.

“I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work,” she added. “I don’t let bullies win.

“Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.”

Elected officials from across the political spectrum denounced the attack.

“I am deeply disturbed to learn that Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall today,” Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina posted.

“Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric – and I do – no elected official should face physical attacks.

“This is not who we are.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also condemned the incident, calling it “unacceptable” and warning that “this kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our city.”

“Violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis,” Frey wrote. “We can disagree without putting people at risk.

“I’m relieved Rep. Omar is okay and appreciate MPD for responding quickly.”

The assault came one day after President Trump confirmed that both the Department of Justice and Congress were examining Omar’s rapidly rising personal net worth.

Trump, who has previously suggested that Omar be jailed or deported to Somalia, disclosed the federal and congressional scrutiny while sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to defuse tensions following Saturday’s fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by a federal immigration officer.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York placed blame for the attack on Trump and his allies.

“It is not a coincidence that after days of President Trump and VP Vance putting Rep. Omar in their crosshairs with slanderous public attacks, she gets assaulted at her town hall,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote.

“Thank God she is okay,” she added. “If they want leaders to take down the temp, they need to look in the mirror.”

U.S. Capitol Police said the suspect who “decided to assault” Omar would face aggressive prosecution.

“We are grateful for the rapid response of onsite security and our local law enforcement partners,” the agency said. “We are now working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society.”

Earlier Tuesday evening, Capitol Police released data showing that threats against members of Congress continued to climb in 2025 for the third consecutive year.

The agency reported investigating 14,938 troubling statements, actions, and communications aimed at lawmakers, their families, staff members, and the Capitol complex over the past year.

{Matzav.com}

Today, the Trump administration announced that 23 states have officially opted in to the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC), marking a major milestone for school choice nationwide. In addition, other states such as Colorado have publicly announced their intention to opt in, bringing the program within reach of nearly half the country.

The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit was passed by Congress and signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025, as part of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. Starting in 2027, the FSTC allows individual taxpayers to contribute to a nonprofit scholarship granting organization (SGO) and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit worth up to $1700. The SGO then pools the funds and distributes scholarships to eligible students for a wide range of K-12 educational expenses including private school tuition However, in order for SGOs to be approved, the state in which they are located must opt in to the tax credit and include them on a list sent to Treasury.

“Today’s announcement brings the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit closer to reality for families. Every state that opts in means more families gaining access to real educational choices for their children,” said Rabbi A. D. Motzen, Agudath Israel of America’s national director of government affairs. “Agudath Israel will continue working with advocates nationwide to encourage additional governors to opt in, ensuring that all children regardless of where they live, can benefit from this historic opportunity.”

{Matzav.com}

It’s almost noon in Havana when a handful of tourists tumble out of a small yellow bus and rush toward a row of shiny classic cars, cameras in hand. Nearby, under the shade of a beach almond tree, a group of drivers jump to their feet, some hoping for their first customer of the day. But the […]

A Queens rebbi was attacked Tuesday afternoon in an unprovoked antisemitic assault that culminated in a dramatic arrest near a subway station, underscoring ongoing concerns about hate-motivated violence in New York City. The attack occurred around 2:30 p.m. near the intersection of Yellowstone Boulevard and Queens Boulevard, according to YWN sources. The rebbi was approached […]

American taxpayers are poised to see a sharp increase in their tax refunds this year, with the average payout expected to rise by about $1,000. The White House estimates that an additional $100 billion will be returned to filers during the 2026 tax season as a result of President Trump’s signature second-term tax legislation.

The tax filing season officially opened Tuesday, and Treasury Department projections show that refunds are expected to total $429 billion — a dramatic increase from the $329 billion issued last year.

With refunds climbing by roughly $1,000 per filer, the average check is projected to top $4,000.

“Millions of Americans are poised to receive significantly larger tax refunds thanks to President Donald J. Trump’s landmark Working Families Tax Cuts Act — which every Democrat in Congress opposed,” the White House said in a statement, referring to the legislation also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“The historic legislation is delivering the biggest tax refund season ever.”

Data cited by The Wall Street Journal shows that last year more than 60% of U.S. households received refunds averaging $3,167.

The spike in refunds is the result of targeted changes embedded in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the sweeping Republican tax overhaul signed into law last year by President Donald Trump.

Under the law, Republicans made the tax cuts retroactive to the 2025 tax year while leaving IRS withholding tables unchanged. As a result, workers continued to have taxes withheld at higher rates throughout the year, with the benefits of the cuts now being paid out in large lump sums just months ahead of the midterm elections.

Although only about 60% of filers receive refunds, those who do are seeing substantially larger amounts.

According to the Tax Foundation, roughly one-quarter of the individual tax cuts stem from raising the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000.

The single largest factor driving higher refunds is the new overtime deduction, which accounts for approximately $38.7 billion — or 30% — of the $129 billion in individual tax relief included in the law for 2025.

Additional contributors include an expanded standard deduction, a new bonus deduction for seniors, an increased child tax credit, and new deductions for tips and auto loan interest.

The surge in refunds is arriving as the IRS operates with significantly fewer employees than it had a year ago, raising concerns about the agency’s ability to process returns and issue payments smoothly.

The IRS started last year with more than 100,000 workers and is now estimated to be about 25% smaller following layoffs and retirements.

While many of the staffing reductions affected enforcement divisions, call centers and paper correspondence units are under the greatest strain, particularly as many taxpayers — especially older filers — continue to rely on phone assistance.

Despite the staffing cuts, the IRS says it expects to process approximately 164 million tax returns this year, roughly the same as last year, and maintains that its systems are prepared. Critics, however, warn that fewer workers handling a much larger volume of money leaves little room for mistakes.

David A. Perez, CEO of Tax Maverick AI, said the scale and structure of this year’s refund surge are unusual compared with previous tax cuts.

“This is not how tax relief is usually delivered,” he told The Post.

“Typically, when the government cuts taxes, withholding tables are updated so people see a little more money in every paycheck. That didn’t happen in 2025.”

Because the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was applied retroactively while withholding remained unchanged, Perez said, “taxpayers were effectively forced to save that money with the Treasury for a year — and now it’s all being released at once.”

Perez, whose company has prepared more than 50,000 tax returns since 2018, said the projected $429 billion in refunds represents about a 30% increase from last year, a jump he has not seen outside of extraordinary circumstances.

“I haven’t seen a manufactured windfall quite like this since the stimulus checks,” he said.

“But this is different, because it’s baked directly into the tax return itself.”

Perez added that lump-sum refunds tend to generate a stronger economic impact than incremental increases in take-home pay.

“Behaviorally, people treat a lump sum very differently than a small weekly raise,” he remarked.

“An extra $50 a week usually gets absorbed by groceries or gas. But a $4,000 refund in February feels like investable cash. People use it for big-ticket items — car down payments, vacations, or paying off high-interest credit card debt.”

As a result, Perez said he expects a burst of consumer spending early in the year.

“President Trump delivered the largest tax cut in history for middle- and working-class Americans, lowering taxes in every county in every state across the nation,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told The Post.

“This tax relief will allow American families to keep more of their hard-earned money and unleash economic growth and prosperity not just during tax season, as millions of Americans receive refund checks, but for years to come.”

“This is yet another promise made, promise kept as President Trump continues to Make America Great Again.”

{Matzav.com}