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Federal authorities say more than 10,000 illegal immigrants have been taken into custody in Minneapolis since the beginning of the second Trump administration, with roughly 3,000 arrests made in just the past six weeks, according to an announcement Monday from the Department of Homeland Security.

“PEACE AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN MINNEAPOLIS!” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem declared in a post on X.

Noem said those arrested “were killing Americans, hurting children and reigning terror in Minneapolis because Tim Walz and Jacob Frey refuse to protect their own people and instead protect criminals.”

The stepped-up enforcement effort comes amid sharp criticism from city leaders. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey drew attention Sunday after describing ICE activity in the city as an “invasion” by the federal government during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

DHS said the arrests are part of what it has described as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever conducted in Minneapolis. Beginning shortly after Thanksgiving, the department deployed approximately 3,000 personnel from multiple agencies, including ICE, Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and other federal units.

“In the last 6 weeks, our brave DHS law enforcement have arrested 3,000 criminal illegal aliens including vicious murders, rapists, child pedophiles and incredibly dangerous individuals. A HUGE victory for public safety,” Noem said, before shifting her focus to a massive fraud investigation underway in the state.

“There is MASSIVE Fraud in Minneapolis, at least $19 billion and that’s just the tip of iceberg. Our Homeland Security Investigators are on the ground in Minneapolis conducting wide scale investigations to get justice for the American people who have been robbed blind,” she wrote.

The $19 billion figure cited by Noem exceeds earlier estimates. U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson previously put the total amount stolen by illegal immigrant fraud rings from Minnesota’s human services programs at approximately $9 billion, much of it allegedly tied to members of the state’s Somali community. The higher number was also referenced by President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post late Sunday criticizing Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

“There is 19 Billion Dollars in Somalia Fraud. Fake ‘Congresswoman’ Ilhan Omar, a constant complainer who hates the USA, knows everything there is to know. She should be in jail, or even a worse punishment, sent back to Somalis, considered one of the absolutely worst countries in the World. She could help to MAKE SOMALIA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote.

{Matzav.com}

New developments have emerged in the investigation into the tragic deaths of two infants at a private daycare in Jerusalem. Following initial examinations at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, authorities say no dangerous or toxic substances were found in the bodies of the infants. As a result, investigators have moved away from earlier suspicions of […]

The names of the two infants who were tragically Niftar in the horrific daycare disasterin Jerusalem’s Romema neighborhood have been released. The victims are Leah Tzipora Golubentzitz A”H, aged three and a half months, and Ari (Aharon) Katz Z”L, aged four months. Both infants were transferred to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute for examination. Their […]

The historic nurses’ strike in New York City entered its eighth day Monday, with nearly 15,000 nurses still off the job amid stalled negotiations with some of the city’s largest hospital systems. Nurses from NewYork-Presbyterian, Mount Sinai, and Montefiore Medical Center walked out last Monday, demanding higher wages, increased staffing levels to better manage patient […]

The Kremlin said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to take part in a U.S.-initiated “Board of Peace” focused on Gaza, an announcement that immediately drew attention given Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow is reviewing the proposal, which was conveyed through diplomatic channels, to join the peace council established by U.S. President Donald Trump late last year. The body is intended to help sustain a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and to supervise Gaza’s reconstruction following months of fighting.

“President Putin has indeed received an offer through diplomatic channels to join this Board of Peace. We are currently studying all the details of this proposal,” Peskov told the Russian state news agency TASS.

“We hope to contact the U.S. side to clarify all the details,” he added.

According to reports, Trump has extended invitations to a number of international leaders to participate in the Gaza initiative. Bloomberg reported Saturday that those invited include Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Argentine President Javier Milei, as part of what is described as a broader Board of Peace framework.

Other countries have also confirmed receiving invitations. AP News reported Sunday that Hungary, India, Jordan, Greece, Cyprus, and Pakistan have all acknowledged being asked to join the Board of Peace.

Bloomberg further reported that the Trump administration is seeking a $1 billion payment from participating nations in exchange for permanent membership on the board, citing a draft charter outlining the group’s structure.

Putin’s potential inclusion has prompted questions due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, which has resulted in massive casualties among both soldiers and civilians. The conflict is nearing its fourth anniversary in February, with estimates placing the death toll in the hundreds of thousands.

Over the weekend, the United States also announced the members of a “founding Executive Board” for the council. The list includes former British prime minister Tony Blair, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among others.

Israel, however, has expressed dissatisfaction with the way the initiative is taking shape. In a statement released Friday, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s office said, “the announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board of Peace, was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy.”

{Matzav.com}

Foreign reports say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked U.S. President Donald Trump to delay a potential strike on Iran after Israel was caught off guard by how quickly Washington appeared ready to move. According to the reports, Israeli officials did not expect Trump to be attack-ready as early as last week, despite escalating rhetoric and […]

“Intimidation,” “threats” and “blackmail” are just some of the terms being used by European Union leaders to describe U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning that he will slap new tariffs on nations opposing American control of Greenland. European language has hardened since Trump returned to the White House 12 months ago. Now it’s in reaction to the previously unthinkable idea […]

Video shows chaotic scenes from the 100+ vehicle pileup in Hudsonville, Michigan, as cars continue to slam into one another.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the Trump administration’s campaign to root out waste, fraud, and abuse has expanded to the Federal Reserve, where potential ethics violations by multiple senior officials are now under review.

Appearing last week on Newsmax’s “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” Bessent criticized the central bank’s financial performance and lack of accountability while discussing an investigation involving Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. “The Fed is now losing $100 billion a year – $100 billion with no accountability,” Bessent said. “We had the worst inflation in 49 years.

“And we’ll see what the tally ends up being, but a very good chance that we will have had ethics violations over the past — four to six of the regional presidents or governors.

“And there needs to be some accountability.”

Bessent contrasted the Fed’s structure with that of the presidency, arguing that while the Federal Reserve prides itself on independence, it operates without the same checks applied to elected officials. He suggested that unelected officials wield enormous power over monetary policy without sufficient oversight, even as they control money creation and interest rates.

“The Federal Reserve occupies a unique spot in the American governmental process,” Bessent told Schmitt last Wednesday. “They have no supervision, they have no accountability.

“And I think that we will look at this and think of a couple of things on Chair Powell’s watch.”

Bessent continued his criticism during appearances on Sunday talk shows, again warning about what he described as a lack of restraint and transparency at the central bank.

“Of course, he’s committed to the independence of the Federal Reserve, but independence does not mean no oversight,” Bessent said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” referring to President Donald Trump’s pressure on Powell to lower interest rates.

During the interview, host Kristen Welker attempted to draw a comparison between construction work at the White House and renovation costs at the Federal Reserve, a comparison Bessent rejected outright.

“The renovations at the White House are not $700 million, more than $1 billion or $1.5 billion over budget, Kristen, and the White House, that is being paid for with private funds,” Bessent responded.

He went on to argue that the Fed’s financial autonomy demands greater transparency. “If I want to buy a new chair for my office at Treasury, that is an appropriation. Just to understand, the Federal Reserve has magic money. They print their own money. So when you have no oversight, why not have a little sunlight?

“Kristen, I have called since last summer for the Fed to do its own internal investigation. And that has not been heeded, not been heeded.

“And again, I don’t know about you. If I were to receive inquiries from the Justice Department, I would answer them. They went unanswered.”

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Pramila Jayapal: “This is a continuation of Trump’s DOJ essentially going after anybody that they don’t like, that they think is standing the way of them having absolute power … and the latest targets on that list are Governor Walz and Mayor Frey.”

Drone footage reveals a massive pileup involving more than 100 vehicles in Michigan, with injuries reported as hazardous winter conditions grip the area.

A man in Guadalajara, Mexico, had to be rescued after getting stuck headfirst inside an anti-vandal trash container, leaving only his legs dangling outside. He told police he climbed in to retrieve something he’d thrown away and became wedged by the container’s security system.

Iraqi forces have been deployed in large numbers along the border with Syria as Syrian government troops take control of prisons holding thousands of ISIS fighters. Iraq’s Deputy Chief of Joint Operations stated: “We assure our citizens that Iraq’s border with Syria is fully secure. Our units are prepared to respond to any attempts by […]

The Syrian Army has entered Al-Shaddadi following reports that ISIS fighters were released from the local prison, which Damascus blames on the SDF. The army says it is carrying out operations to secure the city and capture the escaped prisoners.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met today with Ambassador of the UAE to Israel Mohamed Al Khaja.

President Donald Trump declared in a message to Norway’s prime minister that he no longer feels bound to “think purely of peace” after being passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize — and used the statement to double down on his contentious push for U.S. control of Greenland, according to a message made public Monday. […]

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Shlomo Mordechai Hager zt”l, a distinguished talmid chochom, descendant of renowned Chassidic dynasties, and a respected figure in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. He was 96.

Reb Shlomo Mordechai was a descendant of the Kossov–Savron lineage and was known throughout Crown Heights for his exceptional brilliance and encyclopedic knowledge of Torah.

The levayah is being held at the Shomrei Hadas Funeral Home on 14th Avenue in Borough Park, proceeding to Montefiore Cemetery in Queens for kevurah.

Reb Shlomo Mordechai was born in Yerushalayim. His father was a grandson of the Savroner Rebbe, Rav Moshe Tzvi of Savron, and he was also a grandson of the Toras Chesed of Lublin. The sandek at his bris was Rav Avrohom Yitzchok Kook.

In his youth, Reb Shlomo Mordechai studied for many years at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in Brooklyn. He also developed a close kesher with Rav Aharon Kotler, who held him in great esteem.

During a period living in Eretz Yisroel, Reb Shlomo Mordechai spent 16 years learning at Kollel Chazon Ish in Bnei Brak. He later settled in Crown Heights, where he continued his lifelong dedication to Torah study, earning a reputation as an extraordinary illui and a master of Torah.

In recent years, Reb Shlomo Mordechai drew public attention after sending a letter to Donald Trump, who responded with a personal letter expressing appreciation for his words and offering support. Reb Shlomo Mordechai also met with Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Reb Shlomo Mordechai is survived by his family and descendants. His son is philanthropist Reb Yitzchak Meir Hager.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

There has been an avalanche of criticism — videos, emails, posts, and commentary — aimed at Eli Stefansky over his Daf Yomi AI rap video and some of the antics that have found their way into his (pre-game) shiur. The tone of much of it has been harsh, dismissive, and, at times, deeply unfair.

But the truth, as it so often is, does not live at the extremes. It lives somewhere in the middle.

On the one hand, the criticism is not entirely baseless. The AI gimmicks, the games, the entertainment factor … at a certain point, it does cross a line. When silliness becomes part of a shiur, something precious risks being diluted. We are not dealing with a talent show or a late-night comedy sketch. We are learning the heilige Gemara, the words of Abaye v’rava, Ravina and Rav Ashi. This is the beating heart of Torah Shebaal Peh. This isn’t color war.

And yet — and this is the part that so many critics refuse to acknowledge — you cannot argue with success. Eli Stefansky has brought an untold number of people into Torah learning. People who were disconnected. People who never opened a Gemara. People who felt that Daf Yomi was beyond them. He doesn’t just teach Torah. He made it accessible, exciting, and alive for thousands. That matters. A lot.

To dismiss that because the style is not to everyone’s taste is unfair.

At the same time, success brings responsibility. When you are influencing that many people, the “ramah” (level) has to rise. A shiur cannot feel like a circus. Energy is good. Passion is good. Creativity can be powerful. But dignity matters too. Torah deserves reverence, not just reach.

So yes, the pile-on has gone too far. The attacks have been excessive, personal, and at times mean-spirited. But it is also fair to say that say that Eli now needs to elevate the tone, tighten the boundaries, and remind everyone — himself included — that while Torah can be engaging, it must always remain sacred.

Criticism without appreciation is cruel. Innovation without restraint is dangerous. The balance between the two is hard, but it is exactly where true growth happens.

Wishing Eli hatzlacha. I know he’ll do the right thing.

A Daf Learner

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How do you persuade a population to have more babies after generations of limiting families to just one? A decade after ending China’s longtime one-child policy, the country’s authorities are pushing a range of ideas and policies to try to encourage more births — tactics that range from cash subsidies to taxing condoms to eliminating […]

Genetic Engineering Through the Lens of Halacha: The Questions That Follow Refuah B’Halacha is a halachic center that provides access to experienced Rabbanim who respond to medical-halacha questions of all kinds. Serving as a practical address for both everyday and complex inquiries, the Center assists individuals, families, physicians, and Rabbanim in navigating situations where modern […]