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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth used Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting to deliver an unapologetic defense of commanders overseeing U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels, insisting that his department “will always have the back” of those “making decisions in difficult situations.”

His remarks came as the White House and Pentagon continued dealing with fallout from reports that a second strike in the Caribbean may have hit individuals who survived the initial attack on a narco-trafficking boat. Hegseth rejected the idea that the operation represented anything other than direct, justified action. “We’re taking the fight to these designated terror organizations. And that’s exactly what we’re doing,” he said during the meeting, which aired live on Newsmax.

Hegseth said the administration’s approach marks a dramatic break from what he described as years of failed policy, accusing past leaders of relying on a “rinse-and-repeat approach.” He argued that traffickers have embedded themselves in American communities and caused devastating harm, adding that the campaign is aimed at stopping that damage before it reaches U.S. shores. According to him, the drug networks have left “hundreds of thousands of Americans poisoned.”

He made clear that President Donald Trump shifted course entirely. “President Trump said, ‘No, we’re taking the gloves off,’” Hegseth told reporters. “‘We’re taking the fight to these designated terror organizations.’” He also praised Trump’s comments on the significant drop in maritime drug flow into the country. As Trump put it, drugs arriving “by sea are down 91% … I don’t know who the 9% is.”

With fewer targets remaining, Hegseth said the slowdown in maritime strikes is a sign that deterrence is working. “We’ve had a bit of a pause because it’s hard to find boats to strike right now, which is the entire point, right?” he said, emphasizing that the goal is to stop the trafficking, not repeatedly capture and release smugglers. “Deterrence has to matter, not arrest and hand over and then do it again.”

Hegseth linked the entire strategy to Trump’s agenda, stressing that the War Department will support the officers carrying out these operations. “I will just end by saying, as President Trump always has our back, we always have the back of our commanders who are making decisions in difficult situations,” he said. “And we do in this case, and all these strikes, they’re making judgment calls and ensuring that they defend the American people. They’ve done the right things. We’ll keep doing that. And we have their backs.”

That same morning, the War Department publicly accused The Washington Post of fabricating comments attributed to Hegseth in its reporting on the Caribbean operation. Press secretary Kingsley Wilson said the newspaper’s account distorted the facts and was contradicted even by other media outlets. She said, “a completely fake story in The Washington Post, now discredited by the New York Times, tried to mischaracterize these successful strikes in bad faith. It was an attempt to damage the secretary and the president, and the people saw through it.”

The incident at the center of the dispute occurred on Sept. 2, when U.S. forces executed a secondary strike after the first attack crippled the suspected narco-smuggling vessel. Lawmakers and legal analysts have questioned whether the survivors still posed an imminent threat at the moment of the follow-up strike.

Wilson insisted the mission was fully lawful. “Our operations in the SOUTHCOM region are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict,” she said, adding that “These actions have also been approved by the best military and civilian lawyers up and down the chain of command.” She emphasized that Hegseth supports the officer who made the decision, Vice Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, noting he stands behind him “100%.”

The White House confirmed that Bradley acted under standing authority, backing the decision despite the scrutiny surrounding the operation.

{Matzav.com}

A Jerusalem court on Tuesday sentenced two East-Jerusalem residents to prison after convicting them of plotting a truck-bomb attack near the Israeli Knesset. Mustafa Abd Al-Nabi was given a 12-year prison sentence, while Ahmad Natasha received five years plus a suspended sentence. Prosecutors said the pair had planned to detonate a bomb-laden vehicle close to […]

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says as many as 100 federal agents are headed to the Twin Cities following reports of massive taxpayer fraud committed by Somali immigrants.

The Trump administration has moved to tighten security around National Guard personnel, with War Department press secretary Kingsley Wilson announcing that Guard members stationed in Washington, D.C., have now been fully armed. Wilson explained that the step aligns with the administration’s broader insistence on ensuring troops can protect themselves while assisting civil authorities. “I can confirm that everybody in D.C. is now armed,” she told reporters, making clear that Guard units in the capital are now working closely with local police in combined patrols.

She stressed that safeguarding the soldiers remains a priority for officials overseeing the deployments. “Their safety, of course, is top of mind, and we will continue to make sure they’re able to do their jobs in keeping all of our great Americans safe across our country,” Wilson said. She also noted that ongoing Guard missions in Chicago and Los Angeles will not be halted, even in the wake of recent violence.

The heightened security posture comes on the heels of a tragic assault in Washington, D.C., where U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom was killed and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was gravely injured. Both were serving with the West Virginia National Guard when they were attacked. A 29-year-old Afghan national has been charged in the case, prompting fresh debate about how best to protect Guard personnel deployed in support roles in major cities.

President Donald Trump has personally expressed support for the families affected by the attack, sharing that he welcomed Beckstrom’s relatives to the White House and intends to honor both service members. “When you’re ready, because that’s a tough thing, come to the White House,” Trump said. “We’re going to honor Sarah — and likewise with Andrew, recover or not.”

Back in West Virginia, communities have been gathering for vigils, mourning Beckstrom and davening for Wolfe’s recovery. Gov. Patrick Morrisey delivered an encouraging update during a Newsmax-broadcast press conference, explaining that Wolfe has shown hopeful signs despite being in serious condition. “We did have some positive news,” Morrisey said, recounting reports that Wolfe responded to a nurse with a thumbs-up and “wiggled his toes.” The governor said Wolfe’s mother has asked people to continue davening, noting, “Those prayers are working.”

Morrisey added that about 170 West Virginia Guard members currently serving in Washington volunteered for the assignment because of their commitment to both state and country. “They’re volunteering because they believe in the mission. They want to support the state of West Virginia. They want to support the country,” he said.

For officials in Washington, Wilson’s remarks underscore a broader administration approach: reinforcing the security of deployed troops while maintaining a visible law-and-order presence in cities facing instability. Supporters of the move argue that if service members are placed in unpredictable situations on American streets, arming them is simply a responsible and necessary precaution.

{Matzav.com}

SEE IT! California man finds massive bear living in narrow crawl space underneath home

President Trump to media member holding microphone boom: “How strong are you? You’ve been holding that thing for 2 hours….I’m very proud of you. I have no idea who you are, but you’re strong.”

PUTIN: “If Europe suddenly wants to wage war with us, and starts it, we are ready right away.”

Mamdani says deporting criminal aliens “does nothing to serve the interest of public safety.”

SCHUMER: “Let me be clear. If Trump were to order an attack on land that would be an act of war and Congress would invoke the War Powers Act.”

Mayor of Bat Yam issues stark warning to residents about Iranian recruitment attempts. Bat Yam Mayor Tzvika Brot released a rare video message at the request of the Shin Bet alerting residents that Iranian intelligence has been contacting Israelis directly through messages sent to their personal phones. The mayor urged anyone who responded to these […]

Switzerland: Sergey Shipitsin 35, an extreme sports athlete from Ashdod known as “The Jumping Buddha,” was killed while gliding with a parachute in the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland. He was known for high-risk stunts, including parkour-style jumps between buildings and crane climbs, which he documented on social media. Concern grew after he failed to return […]

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte brushed off fresh concern Tuesday about the United States’ commitment to the military organization on the eve of a meeting of allied foreign ministers focused on Russia’s war against Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to miss Wednesday’s meeting, which will unfold during high-stakes negotiations in Moscow and […]

In the aftermath of the deadly Washington, D.C., attack that left one National Guard member dead and another gravely injured, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is pressing for a dramatic overhaul of the United States’ travel-ban list. According to a CNN report, she has recommended expanding the current roster from 19 restricted nations to as many as 32, a significant escalation of existing policy.

The push follows revelations about the suspect in the D.C. shooting — an Afghan national who had assisted U.S. operations overseas, later arrived in Washington state during the Biden administration’s resettlement effort, and ultimately received asylum under the Trump administration.

After discussions with President Donald Trump, Noem signaled she favors a broad, aggressive strategy rather than incremental additions. As she wrote on X, “I am recommending a full travel ban on every …. country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies,” insisting that Americans should not be forced to witness “foreign invaders” harming citizens or draining public resources.

CNN noted that the administration has not yet finalized which countries would be added or when any announcement would be made. The reporting indicated that the proposal remains under active review and could be revised before the administration makes its decision public.

At present, the 19 countries with full or partial restrictions include Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Speaking to Newsmax, Noem emphasized what she described as deep flaws in the vetting systems used during the Biden administration — especially during Operation Allies Welcome, the mass evacuation and resettlement program following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. On The Record With Greta Van Susteren, she warned, “We think up to 100,000 people came in under Operation Allies that may be here that we don’t know necessarily who they are or why they came to this country,” arguing that all screening should occur before individuals ever reach U.S. soil.

Noem also highlighted the mounting backlog in asylum cases and said the administration is reallocating resources to strengthen pre-entry checks and tighten immigration enforcement. These efforts, she noted, are part of President Trump’s wider security-driven agenda focused on safeguarding the border and prioritizing national security in migration policy.

A DHS spokesperson told Newsmax that the updated list would be released in the near future, as the administration evaluates how to correct past failures and rebuild trust in a system long criticized for putting procedural red tape ahead of protecting Americans.

{Matzav.com}

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Tuesday that Russia is “ready” for war with Europe if European nations “want to and start one.” The comment came just hours before senior U.S. envoys landed in Moscow to advance a contentious peace proposal for Ukraine. Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Putin insisted that Russia does not seek a […]

Harvard University is again urging a federal court to throw out a lawsuit brought by former graduate student Yoav Segev, who says the institution unlawfully refused to discipline students and faculty who harassed him because he is Jewish. The university’s legal filing marks its second and final attempt to dismiss the case. If denied, the […]

President Donald Trump used a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to blast the press for what he said is obsessive scrutiny of his health while giving Joe Biden a free pass during Biden’s time in office. He argued that the media is recycling baseless storylines because it cannot pin genuine scandals on him.

Speaking to reporters in the room, Trump complained that journalists repeatedly float questions about his condition. “But you always find something new. Like, is he in good health?” he said, noting that the same reporters showed little urgency when concerns were raised about Biden. “The guy didn’t do a news conference for eight months. If I go one day … ‘There’s something wrong with the president.’ You people are crazy,” he added.

Trump said he fields questions constantly and that critics are simply manufacturing narratives. “I sit here, I do news — four news conferences a day. I answer questions from very intelligent lunatics. You people,” he joked, before adding, “They always … I give the right answers. There’s never a scandal. There’s never a problem.”

He pointed to his recent physical, saying he voluntarily took a cognitive test even though he was told no other president had previously taken one. The exam, he said, was no pushover. “They said to me, ‘Would you like to take a cognitive test?’” Trump explained, noting that he chose to proceed. “As the doctor will tell you, I aced it … I got every single question right.”

Trump contrasted his own openness with what he described as years of gentle treatment of Biden. “Stories about Biden was in wonderful health,” he said, arguing that the different tone in coverage shows a clear imbalance.

His comments followed the White House release on Monday of additional medical details from his annual physical. According to a memorandum by White House physician Sean P. Barbabella, an MRI conducted last month showed no abnormalities. The imaging evaluation of Trump’s heart and abdominal organs was described as “perfectly normal,” with no indication of inflammation, impaired blood flow, narrowing, clotting, or any other concern.

The president, who is 79, underwent the scans on Nov. 14 and described them at the time as routine. “It’s part of my physical,” he said when asked. “Getting an MRI is very standard.”

Trump again emphasized that he “aced” his cognitive test and dismissed insinuations about his fitness for office. He closed his remarks by returning to familiar territory, once more labeling the 2020 election “fake” and “rigged,” and claiming that missteps under Biden left the country vulnerable.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump unleashed a sharp critique of Democratic economic rhetoric during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, dismissing their emphasis on “affordability” as nothing more than a scripted talking point crafted for political gain. He insisted the term has become a hollow slogan rather than a reflection of Americans’ lived experience.

In a live broadcast carried by Newsmax, Trump argued that Democrats “just say the word” affordability without enacting policies that actually make everyday costs manageable. “There’s this fake narrative that the Democrats talk about affordability. They just say the word. It doesn’t mean anything to anybody,” he said, framing their messaging as deceptive and disconnected.

The president contended that he stepped into office facing an extraordinarily strained economy. “I inherited the worst inflation in history. There was no affordability. Nobody could afford anything. The prices were massively high,” he declared, presenting his administration as having reversed that trend.

Trump highlighted falling energy costs as evidence of economic recovery, asserting that easing fuel and electricity prices are driving down costs across the board. “Our prices now for energy, for gasoline are really low. Electricity is coming down, and when that comes down, everything comes down,” he said.

He repeatedly accused Democrats of misleading the public about inflation and cost-of-living issues. “But the word affordability is a Democrat scam,” Trump said. “They say it and then they go on to the next subject and everyone thinks, Oh, they had lower prices. No, they had the worst inflation in the history of our country.”

Trump acknowledged that some challenge his description of past inflation peaks, but he said either way, the economic picture before his presidency was bleak. “Some people like to correct me and they say 48 years. I say it’s not 48 years, it’s much more. But whether it’s 48 years or ever, it’s pretty bad,” he said.

He credited his economic team with reversing the inflation trajectory since last January, though he admitted the job is not complete. “There is still more to do. There’s always more to do,” Trump said, describing current inflation levels as “very good” and likely to improve going forward.

At the same time, he cautioned that the aim is not to drive inflation all the way down to zero, arguing that a downturn in prices could be harmful. “Deflation can be worse than inflation,” he warned. “We have it almost … we’ll soon be at a perfect level,” Trump said.

{Matzav.com}

Tensions between President Isaac Herzog and Democrats chair Yair Golan escalated sharply after Golan publicly urged Herzog not to serve as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “guardian” by approving a pardon without any acknowledgment of wrongdoing. In response, Herzog scrapped a planned meeting with the MK, signaling clear displeasure with the tone and substance of Golan’s remarks.

The confrontation began when Golan released a pointed statement challenging Herzog directly. “Are you loyal to the state and the law, or are you Netanyahu’s guardian?” he declared, framing the decision as a test of presidential integrity. Golan intensified the criticism by invoking Herzog’s lineage, insisting, “I know that your father, President Chaim Herzog, would have kicked Netanyahu out the door, without hesitation and without blinking.”

Channel 12 reported that Herzog refused to meet under what the President’s Office viewed as a wave of “violent and insulting discourse,” canceling the scheduled sit-down as a form of protest. Despite the fallout, Golan appears unfazed. In a conversation with the network, he offered no retraction, noted that the appointment has not been rescheduled, and conveyed no expectation that it will be soon.

“I respect the president, but given the worrying signs on the pardon issue… one must have a clear and staunch position,” he insisted, making it clear that he believes Herzog must safeguard the country’s legal framework. “We expect the president to defend the state of Israel’s laws, its institutions, its representatives and the judicial branch.”

Golan argued that this moment demands blunt honesty about Israel’s direction. “It’s come time to tell ourselves and everyone, Israel is at a fateful hour. We must fight for the future of Israel as a democratic and free country.” He concluded by emphasizing the urgency behind his appeal: “My sole intention to the president was to say this is an emergency and we all have the duty — the first citizen and every other citizen — to fight for Israel’s future.”

{Matzav.com}

A newly released analysis by IMPACT-se paints an alarming portrait of the Palestinian Authority’s upcoming 2025–2026 academic curriculum, revealing that the educational material continues to foster hostility rather than coexistence.

The review concludes that the updated curriculum maintains a pattern of content that “contradicts UNESCO standards for education for peace and tolerance,” with no meaningful shift away from rhetoric that encourages extremism.

Researchers scrutinized 290 textbooks and instructional guides used across grades 1 through 12 in Gaza, Judea, Samaria, and eastern Jerusalem, including materials used in UNRWA-affiliated schools.

According to the findings, the curriculum remains steeped in messaging that glorifies radical nationalism, stokes animosity, promotes antisemitism, and legitimizes violent struggle.

In multiple places, the books employ overtly antisemitic language. Jews are described as “liars,” “corrupt,” “devil’s helpers,” and “bloodthirsty monsters,” with the narrative repeatedly stripping Israelis of basic humanity.

Examples cited include passages depicting Israeli soldiers as snipers targeting children “for no reason,” or as combatants committing atrocities while “laughing loudly.”

The report documents that themes of jihad and martyrdom permeate the curriculum from the earliest grades. Even first graders encounter the word “Shahid” during lessons on the Arabic alphabet. Terms like “the peak of faith” and promises of “reward in paradise” are intertwined with jihad-related messages, at times including references to 72 virgins.

Political indoctrination appears even in science and math books. Algebra lessons incorporate variables such as “number of shahids,” and physics problems describe scenarios like a girl launching a projectile with a slingshot.

Israel itself is erased from the educational landscape. Maps omit its name and borders, and cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa are removed entirely. Instead, students are taught about a “Greater Palestine” stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

Despite prolonged international pressure — especially from the European Union — the report states that “no substantive reform” has taken place. The 2025–2026 textbooks, including those issued after the October 7th massacre, continue to echo the same incitement found in previous editions.

{Matzav.com}

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan man accused of shooting two DC National Guard members near the White House, pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance on Tuesday. Lakanwal appeared virtually from his hospital bed, where he has been recovering after being shot by authorities last week. Prosecutors say he opened fire on the two Guardsmen, […]