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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{Matzav.com}
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.
{Matzav.com}
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}
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}
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}
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}
