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Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back sharply at CBS News host Margaret Brennan after she challenged the Trump administration’s decision to limit its Venezuela operation to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, rather than dismantling the entire regime in one sweep.

The exchange unfolded Sunday on “Face the Nation,” where Brennan questioned why other indicted figures tied to the Venezuelan government were not taken into custody during the mission. “I’m curious because you just described the regime as still in place, essentially. I’m curious why the Trump administration decided to leave it intact and only arrest Nicolás Maduro and his wife,” she said.

As Brennan ticked off names of alleged regime associates who remain in the country, she underscored her skepticism. “I’m confused. Are they still wanted by the United States? Why didn’t you arrest them if you are taking out the narco-terrorist regime?”

Rubio immediately rejected the premise of her questions. “You’re confused? I don’t know why that’s confusing to you,” he replied, after Brennan insisted that regime figures were still holding power.

He went on to argue that expanding the operation would have dramatically increased risks and international backlash. “Yeah, but you’re going to go in and suck up five people? They are already complaining about this one operation. Imagine the howls we would have from everybody else if we actually had to go and stay there four days to capture four other people,” Rubio said.

The secretary of state stressed that the mission focused on the highest-value target. “We got the top priority. The number one person on the list was the guy who claimed to be the president of the country that he was not, and he was arrested, along with his wife, who is also indicted. And that was a pretty sophisticated and, frankly, complicated operation.”

“It was,” Brennan acknowledged.

Rubio then described the scope and danger involved in the raid itself, citing helicopter landings at Venezuela’s largest military base, the breach of Maduro’s residence, his arrest and removal from the country, all without American casualties or lost equipment. “That’s not an easy mission, and you’re asking me why didn’t we do that at five other places at the same time? I mean, that’s absurd,” he said.

Brennan later returned to her original concern, noting that other regime members remain inside Venezuela. “I’m asking why you chose that this was the limit of the military operation,” she said, prompting Rubio to again emphasize that Maduro had falsely claimed the presidency and was the primary objective.

According to U.S. officials, the Trump administration carried out a targeted nighttime operation on Jan. 3 that resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both were transported to the United States, where federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against them.

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U.S. flu infections surged over the holidays, and health officials are calling it a severe season that is likely to get worse. New government data posted Monday — for flu activity through the week of the Dec. 25 federal holiday — showed that by some measures this season is already surpassing the flu epidemic of last […]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani moved swiftly after taking office to nullify a broad set of executive orders signed by his predecessor, Eric Adams, a decision that had the effect of canceling directives tied to antisemitism and Israel, according to a report by the New York Times.

The mayor framed the move as a matter of administrative principle rather than policy substance. By wiping out all Adams-issued executive orders dating back to September 2024, Mamdani was able to characterize the action as routine “good governance,” the report said.

Behind the scenes, however, advisers acknowledged that the elimination of two specific orders was always the objective. Those directives had formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism and barred mayoral appointees and agency staff from participating in boycotts or divestment campaigns targeting Israel. Advisors cautioned Mamdani that openly revoking those measures could provoke backlash from Jewish organizations, particularly after he had publicly pledged to take antisemitism seriously.

Mamdani’s legal team laid out two possible approaches. One option was to individually review each Adams-era order and rescind them selectively. The other was to cancel all of the orders issued during Adams’ final period in office. Mamdani opted for a hybrid approach, rescinding every executive order Adams signed after his corruption indictment in September 2024, effectively sweeping away the antisemitism- and Israel-related directives along with the rest.

The decision drew sharp condemnation from Jewish leaders in the United States. William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish organizations, said: “Mayor Mamdani’s decision to cancel New York’s adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, along with related presidential orders aimed at addressing antisemitic discrimination, is a troubling indicator of the direction he is leading the city, just one day after taking office.”

Daroff warned that undoing the orders would weaken the city’s ability to confront a growing problem. “Its cancellation reduces New York’s ability to identify and respond to antisemitism at a time when the number of incidents continues to rise. New York City should clearly lead in moral integrity and determination in confronting antisemitism. This decision signals the opposite direction,” he said.

Criticism also came from Israel. Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli accused Mamdani of acting out of self-interest rather than principle. “It is no coincidence that one of Mayor Mamdani’s first actions was an attempt to cancel the IHRA definition of antisemitism. He knows very well that, according to that definition, he himself falls under the category of antisemitic,” Chikli said. “Instead of confronting reality, he is trying to change the rules.”

Chikli argued that the rollback went well beyond a single definition. “It does not stop there. At the same time, he is working to lift the ban on boycotts of Israel and to erase official statements made by his predecessor, a friend of Israel, Eric Adams, regarding antisemitism in New York. This is a systematic attempt to erase the fight against antisemitism and to legitimize extremist positions under the guise of social justice. The fact that such moves are taking place in New York City, the city with the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, is a serious warning sign,” he added.

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The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday said it would propose a drinking water limit for perchlorate, a harmful chemical in rockets and other explosives, but also said doing so wouldn’t significantly benefit public health and that it was acting only because a court ordered it. The agency said it will seek input on how strict […]

Israel’s energy minister has ordered preparations to sever utility services to facilities operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, invoking newly passed legislation to advance the move. The directive follows Knesset approval last week of a law sponsored by MKs Yulia Malinovsky of Yisrael Beytenu and Limor Son-Har-Melech of Otzma Yehudit that authorizes the disconnection of UNRWA public buildings from infrastructure services.

Under the instruction issued Monday, the Israel Electric Corporation and Yerushalayim’s water provider, “Hagihon,” were told to initiate the disconnection process and to dispatch advance warning notices ahead of any cutoffs. The notices are to be sent to UNRWA public buildings located in the Yerushalayim neighborhoods of Ma’alot Dafna and Kafr Aqab.

Energy Minister Eli Cohen described the step as part of a broader campaign to halt UNRWA operations, which he labeled a “terror supporter.” He also directed officials to identify additional UNRWA facilities and to proceed with full implementation of the new law as further locations are confirmed.

{Matzav.com}

Anti-Israel activists are planning a protest Wednesday outside a Nefesh B’Nefesh immigration event in Manhattan, escalating a pattern of confrontations that have often crossed from political protest into harassment and intimidation. The demonstration is being organized by Palestinian Assembly for Liberation (PAL‑Awda) NY/NJ, which is urging supporters to bring Palestinian flags, keffiyehs, and noisemakers to […]

A fire broke out today at a Bais Medrash Govoah residential development site on Cedarview Avenue in Lakewood, NJ drawing a response from local fire crews.

The incident took place inside one of the apartment buildings currently going up as part of a housing initiative intended for yungeleit.

Authorities confirmed that no one was hurt in the blaze.

Officials did not immediately disclose what sparked the fire.

The structure involved is part of a major construction effort launched by Bais Medrash Govoah on land it acquired several years ago from Georgian Court University.

The overall plan calls for six residential buildings that will together provide roughly 600 apartments for yungeleit once the project is finished.

{Matzav.com}

The nation’s health department starting Monday can resume sharing the personal data of certain Medicaid enrollees with deportation officials, according to a federal judge’s ruling, in a blow to states that had sued the administration over privacy concerns. But the judge’s decision, issued last Monday, strictly limits the scope of data from the 22 plaintiff […]

A year after New York City rolled out congestion pricing in Manhattan, new data indicates that traffic is moving more efficiently, with buses and taxis seeing noticeable improvements in travel times.

The pricing program, which marked its first anniversary on Monday, requires most private vehicles to pay a $9 fee during peak hours to enter Manhattan below 60th Street, with higher charges imposed on trucks based on size. Since its introduction, traffic in the congestion zone has declined by roughly 11%, according to figures from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the city’s transit system and put the tolling plan into effect.

That reduction in vehicle volume has translated into faster trips for professional drivers. Taxis operating south of 60th Street averaged 7.3 miles per hour between January and October of last year, representing a 1.4% increase compared with the same months in 2024, before the toll went live. The increase reverses a multiyear trend in which average taxi speeds had been slipping steadily since 2021, according to the new analysis.

Bus riders are also seeing gains. Local, limited, select, and express bus services collectively moved about 3% faster within the tolled area as of November, benefiting commuters who rely on surface transit through some of the city’s most congested corridors.

Traffic counts reinforce the trend. Vehicle volumes through tunnels leading into the congestion pricing zone dropped by 3.1%, while bridge and tunnel crossings into the area during the first ten months of 2025 matched 100% of 2019 levels. That marks a decline from 2024, when crossings reached 103.6% of pre-pandemic volumes.

The findings come from a joint report by the Regional Plan Association, a nonprofit focused on regional economic health and quality of life, and the Sam Schwartz Transportation Research Program at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College.

Beyond easing congestion, the tolling system is generating significant funding. The MTA projects that congestion pricing will produce $548.3 million in net revenue in 2025, money slated for upgrades and modernization across the city’s aging transit infrastructure.

{Matzav.com}

Elon Musk posted a new image that quickly drew attention, showing him seated at a table with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump. Alongside the photo, Musk struck an upbeat tone about the year ahead, writing, “Had a lovely dinner last night with @POTUS and @FLOTUS. 2026 is going to be amazing!”

The image, which Musk shared on X, shows the tech billionaire dining with the president and the first lady, a public display that contrasts sharply with the tensions that have marked his relationship with Trump in recent months.

The post follows a long-running dispute that erupted after Musk exited the Trump administration, where he had led the Department of Government Efficiency. After leaving that role, Musk launched sharp criticisms of Trump, a rupture that played out openly and fueled speculation that the two had permanently fallen out.

That strain was particularly evident when Musk attacked Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill. During the dispute, Musk labeled the legislation “pork-filled” and “a disgusting abomination.” In the midst of the feud, he also claimed that the reason files connected to convicted child sex predator Jeffrey Epstein’s client list had “not been made public” was because Trump was “in the Epstein files.”

Republicans pushed back at the time, arguing that Musk’s criticism of the legislation stemmed from the bill’s removal of green energy tax credits rather than from any broader policy concerns.

Signs of a possible thaw began to surface months earlier. In September, Breitbart News reporter Nick Gilbertson noted that Trump and Musk were seen together at a tribute service for Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated. During the event, the two men were observed sitting near one another and exchanging a handshake.

That appearance marked the first public reunion between Trump and Musk since Musk’s departure from the administration and his subsequent attacks, which had sparked a very visible rift. The interaction prompted talk that relations might be easing.

At the tribute, Trump and Musk were seen conversing as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took the stage to honor Kirk. When Hegseth concluded his remarks, Trump and Musk shook hands, after which Musk left his seat — a moment that hinted at at least a partial reconciliation.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. multinational corporations will be exempted from paying more corporate taxes overseas in a deal finalized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The OECD announced Monday that nearly 150 countries have agreed on the plan, initially crafted in 2021, to stop large global companies from shifting profits to low-tax countries, no matter where […]

Colombia’s president escalated tensions with Washington on Monday, warning that he would personally resist any American military action against his country after President Trump publicly hinted that Bogotá could be next in a broader anti-drug campaign.

The sharp exchange followed a dramatic U.S. operation over the weekend that led to the arrest of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro, an event that Trump cited while suggesting Colombia and its leader could face similar pressure.

In a message posted online, President Gustavo Petro invoked Colombia’s history of conflict and peace, saying he would abandon a long-held personal pledge if the nation were attacked. “I swore not to touch a weapon again since the 1989 Peace Pact, but for the homeland, I will take up arms again,” Petro wrote on X.

He went on to frame the confrontation as a popular struggle rather than a personal one. “Know that you are facing a commander of the people. Free Colombian forever,” he added.

Petro said the Colombian military and security services had been instructed to protect the country’s leadership and population from any foreign incursion, stating that forces had orders to fire on “the invader.”

Responding to Trump’s rhetoric, the left-wing president insisted that his administration has been actively battling narcotics trafficking and warned that an attack on Colombia’s government would only strengthen criminal organizations. He argued that destabilizing the state would hand an advantage to the very cartels the U.S. claims to be fighting.

Petro also cautioned that airstrikes against drug groups would have devastating civilian consequences, accusing cartels of operating among noncombatants. “If you bomb even one of these groups without sufficient intelligence, you will kill many children,” Petro said. “If you bomb peasants, thousands of guerrillas will return in the mountains.

“And if you arrest the president whom a good part of my people want and respect, you will unleash the popular jaguar,” he added, using a metaphor for mass unrest among Colombians.

The Colombian leader’s remarks came after Trump warned that Petro should “watch his a–” in the aftermath of the U.S. raid in Caracas that captured Maduro and his wife.

Petro had publicly denounced that operation and urged the United Nations Security Council to convene an emergency session to address Maduro’s detention.

Trump, for his part, intensified the feud by branding Petro “a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States,” a claim the Colombian president flatly rejected.

Petro dismissed any suggestion of ties to drug cartels and said his finances are fully transparent, insisting he has no involvement with criminal networks.

In a final warning, Petro turned his attention inward, cautioning members of Colombia’s security establishment against siding with Washington. “Every soldier of Colombia has an order from now on: every commander of the public force who prefers the flag of the US to the flag of Colombia must immediately withdraw from the institution by order of the bases and the troops and mine,” Petro said.

{Matzav.com}

LAKEWOOD: Firefighters are currently battling a blaze at the new BMG apartment buildings on Cedarview Avenue that are currently under-construction. There have been no immediate reports of injuries.

Iran on Monday claimed Israeli intelligence involvement in nationwide unrest after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly voiced support for protesters challenging the Islamic Republic’s leadership. At a weekly press conference in Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei accused Israel of attempting to fracture Iran from within, warning that the government would not tolerate foreign-backed destabilization. […]

The U.S. took the unprecedented step Monday of dropping the number of vaccines it recommends for every child — leaving other immunizations, such as flu shots, open to families to choose but without clear guidance. Officials said the overhaul to the federal vaccine schedule won’t result in any families losing access or insurance coverage for […]

Rabbi Chezky Lifshitz, head of Chabad of Nepal, said he did not intend to accuse the owner of the organization’s longtime building of antisemitism after they were evicted from their Kathmandu premises last week. In an interview with The Times of Israel, Lifshitz sought to clarify remarks made in a recent Facebook post by Chabad […]

Large numbers of Americans are increasingly using ChatGPT as a substitute source for medical guidance, with roughly 40 million people saying they turn to the tool for health-related information, according to new findings cited by OpenAI and reported by Axios. The report indicates that health questions now account for more than 5 percent of all messages sent to the AI system worldwide, even though medical decisions are often highly personal and depend on individual circumstances.

The data suggests that many users rely on ChatGPT when traditional medical care is harder to access. Underserved rural areas alone generate “an average of nearly 600,000 health care-related messages every week,” and seven out of ten health-related questions are submitted outside standard office hours, Axios reports.

Beyond symptom-related concerns, users are increasingly employing the technology to navigate the financial side of health care. The report estimates that between 1.6 million and 1.9 million insurance-related searches are conducted weekly, with people seeking help to understand coverage, compare prices, identify possible overcharges, and even challenge denied claims.

Survey responses included in the report show that a majority of U.S. users have turned to ChatGPT for direct medical exploration. Among respondents, 55 percent said they had used the tool to “check or explore symptoms,” 48 percent reported using it to “understand medical terms or instructions,” and 44 percent said they relied on it to “learn about treatment options.”

The report notes that its findings focus solely on ChatGPT usage and do not account for other artificial intelligence tools, including AI-generated responses that appear at the top of Google search results.

{Matzav.com}

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro repeatedly tried to speak during his first court appearance in New York City on Monday, insisting “I am innocent.” Maduro made the remarks during his arraignment in federal court on Monday, but Judge Alvin Hellerstein repeatedly shut down his attempts to speak. Maduro pleaded not guilty to all four counts against […]

An urgent meeting of leading roshei yeshiva and rabbonim from across the tri-state area was convened last night in Lakewood, NJ to address what participants described as the growing spiritual dangers posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and the need to safeguard yeshivos from its influence.

The gathering was held at Ateres Chana Hall at Bais Faiga and drew senior Torah leadership. The meeting was called amid rising concern that rapid advances in AI technology present unprecedented challenges to kedusha, focus, and the integrity of the Olam HaTorah.

Those in attendance included Rav Yosef Mermelstein, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Novominsk; Rav Shlomo Feivel Schustal, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Tiferes Yerachmiel; Rav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, rosh yeshiva of Mesivta of Lakewood; Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Moshe of South Fallsburg; Rav Elya Kanarek, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ohr Hameir of Peekskill; the roshei yeshiva of Bais Medrash Govoah, Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rav Dovid Schustal, Rav Yeruchem Olshin, and Rav Yisroel Neuman; Rav Yisroel Ehrlich, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Mishkan Hatorah; Rav Eliyahu Yagid, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Keren Hatorah; Rav Avrohom Bromberg, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Shaar Hatalmud; Rav Yaakov Horowitz, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Bais Meir; Rav Dovid Breslauer, rosh kollel of Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Moshe of South Fallsburg; Rav Shmuel Abba Olshin, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah of Hillside; Rav Yitzchok Lichtenstein, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas; Rav Simcha Bunim Paler, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Mekor Chaim; Rav Uri Meir Kanarek, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Noam Hatalmud; Rav Moshe Pruzansky, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Chemdas Hatorah; and other rabbonim.

Speakers emphasized that while technology in general — and AI in particular — is advancing at a pace never before seen, the Torah world must respond with clarity and firm boundaries. The discussion focused on how AI tools can quietly penetrate yeshiva environments, affect purity of thought, undermine discipline, and introduce influences that can be damaging to a ben Torah.

In his remarks, Rav Wachtfogel framed the challenge in stark but nuanced terms, describing AI as an “Eitz Hadaas Tov V’Ra.” He explained that the difficulty lies precisely in the fact that AI contains elements that are beneficial alongside components that are deeply harmful. “Halevai that it should only be ra, if only it would only have bad components,” he said. If that were the case, he noted, the battle would be far simpler. It is the blend of usefulness and danger, he explained, that makes AI so complex and so perilous for the Olam HaTorah.

Speakers stressed that what makes AI especially threatening is not only what it can do, but how subtly it can enter a person’s life, reshape thinking, and erode sensitivity without immediate awareness.

The assembled rabbonim spoke about the responsibility of roshei yeshiva and mechanchim to act proactively and establish clear policies.

{Matzav.com / Photo: Yissochar Dunoff}

Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Zini has filed a defamation lawsuit seeking 500,000 shekels against Haaretz, accusing the newspaper of orchestrating a coordinated smear campaign aimed at him and his family in the lead-up to the appointment of his nephew, David Zini, as head of Israel’s Shin Bet. According to the lawsuit, filed through attorneys Yechiel Weinrot, […]