Donald Trump’s presidential win is going to be certified in Congress in January by the candidate he beat, Vice President Kamala Harris. Under the Constitution, the vice president is the head of the Senate, and it’s the role of the Senate president to declare the result of a White House election. That happens Jan. 6. Under normal circumstances, the vote-tallying procedure performed by the vice president is a mere formality and it’s the final step in the complicated technical process of electing a new administration. For example, in 2000, after the grueling 36-day Florida recount battle, Democrat Al Gore conceded the presidency on Dec. 13 to Republican George W. Bush. Gore, too, was the vice president, and he certified Bush’s win. “The whole number of the electors appointed to vote for president of the United States is 538,” Gore said from the rostrum, going on to read off his own loss to Congress. “George W. Bush of the state of Texas has received for president of the United States 271 votes. Al Gore of the state of Tennessee has received 266 votes.” But this nearly didn’t happen four years ago. Trump refused to accept defeat and sparked a violent insurrection at the Capitol, when then-Vice President Mike Pence was to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s win. Trump’s supporters chanted “Hang Mike Pence” as they ransacked Capitol offices. Trump had wanted Pence to “do the right thing” and declare Trump the winner. Trump and his allies spent days in a futile bid trying to convince Pence that the vice president had the power to reject electors from battleground states that voted for Biden, even though the Constitution makes clear the vice president’s role in the joint session is largely ceremonial, much like a master of ceremonies. Pence acknowledged that reality in a lengthy statement to Congress. He laid out his conclusion that a vice president cannot claim “unilateral authority” to reject states’ electoral votes. He gaveled in the joint session of Congress on Jan. 7, 2021, to certify for Biden. (AP)
Vice President Kamala Harris called President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him on his election victory, a senior Harris aide said. The aide said Harris discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power with Trump ahead of her planned concession speech Wednesday afternoon. Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver a concession speech Wednesday at 4 p.m., her office announced. Harris will speak at Howard University, her alma mater in Washington, where her supporters watched returns Tuesday night before being sent home after midnight as President-elect Donald Trump pulled ahead in battleground state results.
Special counsel Jack Smith is evaluating how to wind down the two federal cases against Donald Trump before he takes office in light of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday. Smith charged Trump last year with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. But Trump’s election defeat of Kamala Harris means that the Justice Department believes he can no longer face prosecution in accordance with decades-old department legal opinions meant to shield presidents from criminal charges while in office. The person familiar with Smith’s plans was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. By moving to end the cases before the inauguration in January, Smith and the Justice Department would avert a potential showdown with Trump. The president-elect said as recently as last month that he would fire Smith, who was appointed in November 2022 by Attorney General Merrick Garland, “within two seconds” of taking office. NBC News first reported Smith’s plans. Smith’s two cases charge Trump in a conspiracy to undo the election results in the run-up to the Capitol riot, and with retaining top secret records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and obstructing FBI efforts to recover them. The classified documents case has been stalled since July when a Trump-appointed judge, Aileen Cannon, dismissed it on grounds that Smith was illegally appointed. Smith has appealed to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where the request is pending. In the 2020 election interference case, Trump was scheduled to stand trial in March in Washington, where more than 1,000 of his supporters have been convicted of charges for their roles in the Capitol riot. But the case was halted as Trump pursued his sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution that ultimately landed before the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump could be emboldened by the Supreme Court’s ruling in July, which granted former presidents expansive immunity from prosecution for acts taken in the White House and explicitly put off-limits any alleged conduct involving Trump’s discussions with the Justice Department. That included his efforts use the Justice Department to conduct sham election fraud investigations as part of his bid to stay in power. The conservative-majority Supreme Court sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which of the other allegations in the indictment, if any, could move forward to trial. In response, Smith’s team last month filed a 165-page brief laying out new evidence to persuade the judge that the actions alleged in the indictment were taken in Trump’s private capacity as a candidate — not as commander-in-chief — and therefore can remain part of the case. Trump’s lawyers are scheduled to file their response later this month. Whatever Chutkan rules is expected to be appealed again to the Supreme Court, meaning a possible trial would be likely a year or more away. (AP)
Last week, Eric Celaya, a 30-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona, received an eight-month prison sentence for illegally purchasing firearms for Jaime Tran, who used them in the February shootings of two Jewish men outside a Los Angeles shul, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. The sentencing follows Celaya’s guilty plea in May to making a false statement during the gun purchase. The Justice Department reported that Celaya, who has no prior criminal history, was unaware of Tran’s intent to commit a hate crime. Celaya admitted to falsely stating he was the actual buyer of the firearms when he bought them on Jan. 19, 2023, in Tempe, Arizona, though he knew he was purchasing the weapons for Tran. In addition to his prison term, Celaya will serve three years of supervised release. The Justice Department noted that there was no evidence Celaya was aware of Tran’s intentions or beliefs at the time of the purchase. The two Jewish men targeted in Tran’s attack on Feb. 15 and 16 survived the shootings. Tran, who pleaded guilty in June to hate crimes, was sentenced last month to 35 years in prison. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said that Tran had “obsessed over his antisemitic hatred for years” and planned the two-day assault with the intent to kill Jews leaving synagogue. “After years of spewing antisemitic vitriol, the defendant planned and carried out a two-day attack attempting to murder Jews,” Garland said. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Donald Trump’s election victory was history-making in several respects, even as his defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris prevented other firsts. She would have been the nation’s first Black and South Asian woman to be president. He’s the oldest to be elected At 78, Trump is the oldest person elected to the U.S. presidency. When sworn in on Jan. 20, 2025, he will be a few months older than Joe Biden was at his inauguration in 2020. Trump’s running mate, 40-year-old JD Vance, will be the third-youngest vice president. It’s the second time someone has won two non-consecutive terms Several U.S. presidents have served more than one term, and Trump joins the group. He was the 45th president and now will be the 47th. But only one other president did it the way Trump will — with a gap between terms. That was Grover Cleveland, who served as the 22nd president after the 1884 election, and as the 24th president after the campaign of 1892. He’s been convicted of felony crimes Trump is in line to become the first U.S. president with a felony conviction. In May, New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a woman. He’s been impeached (twice) Trump already is the only president in U.S. history to face impeachment proceedings twice while in office. In each case, he was acquitted by the Senate on all counts. (AP)
A U.S. Army soldier who was injured in May while working on the pier to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza has died. US President Joe Biden insisted on building the pier to deliver aid to “starving” Gazan “civilians” despite being warned not to do so. The project was a colossal failure, wasting millions of US taxpayer dollars, and the aid that the US military managed to move onto the Gaza shore fell into the hands of Hamas as terrorists repeatedly comandeered humanitarian convoys – an issue that Biden was warned about and repeatedly ignored. Sgt. Quandarius Stanley, 23, was a motor transport operator and was critically injured when high winds and heavy seas damaged the pier, causing four Army vessels to become beached. Two other service members also were injured but later returned to duty. U.S. military officials have not provided details on how exactly Stanley was injured but have noted it was not in combat. He died last Thursday and had been assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade Expeditionary at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia. “Sgt. Quandarius Stanley was an instrumental and well respected first-line leader in the 7th Transportation Brigade Expeditionary (TBX), especially during the mission to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. We will continue to provide support to his family during this difficult time,” said Col. John “Eddie” Gray, brigade commander. “Our entire unit mourns alongside his family.” Capt. Shkeila Milford-Glover, spokesperson for the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, said Stanley had recently been retired and was receiving treatment in a long-term care medical center. The massive pier project was hampered by unexpected bad weather and security issues, as well as persistent safety issues that prompted aid agencies to halt distribution of the supplies out of fear of being injured and killed. The Defense Department formally pulled the pier from the Gaza shore on June 28 and declared an end in mid-July to the mission to bring aid into the territory. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem & AP)
Vice President Kamala Harris has officially conceded the 2024 election, calling President-elect Donald Trump to offer her congratulations on Wednesday. Harris, a senior aide said, “called President-elect Trump to congratulate him on winning the 2024 presidential election. She discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans.” A person familiar tells CNN the call only lasted a few minutes. Harris is set to deliver remarks at 4 p.m. ET at Howard University — her alma mater.
A man who was recently fired from his job at Navy Pier returned to the Chicago tourist attraction and killed two workers before fleeing, police said. The attack happened Tuesday afternoon after the fired worker gained access to an office space near a loading dock at Navy Pier, police Chief of Patrol Jon Hein told reporters. The assailant shot Lamont Johnson, 51, and an unidentified 47-year-old man before fleeing, police said. The victims were pronounced dead at a hospital. Police declined to name the alleged attacker Wednesday, citing a department policy of not naming people until they are charged, and didn’t say whether they think he poses a danger to the public. It wasn’t immediately clear why police didn’t know the name of one of the killed workers but did know his age. The suspect was fired on Oct. 14 from his job at Navy Pier. which features shops, restaurants, entertainment and its iconic Ferris wheel along Lake Michigan. “As a former employer of the subcontractor, he had access,” Brian Murphy, Navy Pier’s chief operating officer, told WLS-TV. “He knew how to get to that back loading dock area.” The site was put on lockdown after the shootings and an alert was sent to people who live nearby, Murphy said. Stephanie Knowles, who works at a souvenir shop, said her manager received a call and told employees they had to “start closing everything down.” Workers turned off the lights and hid in the back of a storage room, Knowles said. “I was a little nervous, you know, when you think about the high school shootings,” she said. “I’ve never had to live through that, so this was the closest thing that I’ve had to that experience.” (AP)
Former Attorney General Bill Barr, who served in President-elect Donald Trump’s first administration, is calling on prosecutors at the state and federal levels to dismiss the pending legal cases against Trump before he takes office once again. Barr told Fox News Digital that voters were well aware of all the allegations against Trump when electing him to a second term in office on Tuesday, and that it is in the country’s best interest for prosecutors to listen to them. “The American people have rendered their verdict on President Trump, and decisively chosen him to lead the country for the next four years,” Barr said. “They did that with full knowledge of the claims against him by prosecutors around the country and I think Attorney General Garland and the state prosecutors should respect the people’s decision and dismiss the cases against President Trump now.” Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., on Wednesday called on the Department of Justice and prosecutors in New York and Georgia to drop all their criminal cases against President-elect Trump. “The American people have spoken: the lawfare must end,” Scalise posted on social media. “I call on Attorney General Garland, Alvin Bragg, and Fani Willis to immediately terminate the politically-motivated prosecutions of President Donald Trump.” Special Counsel Jack Smith is leading two federal prosecutions of Trump, one in Washington, D.C., for Trump’s alleged involvement with the Jan. 6, 2021 riot and another in Florida based on retention of classified documents. New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg secured a conviction of Trump for falsifying business records related to a hush payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is prosecuting Trump for alleged election interference in a conspiracy case with 18 co-defendants. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges in all cases. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
IDF forces have been fighting terrorists in Gaza for over a year and are still suffering casualties and serious injuries from weapons manufactured by terrorists who were trained to do so in Iran, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday. According to the report, IDF found proof of this when they discovered 14 pages of notes in Gaza that belonged to a terrorist who participated in such a course in Iran. The notes included drawings of drones and parts of rockets and detailed instructions on how to manufacture Iranian-designed drones. The report quoted an Israeli official as saying that the drones and rockets detailed in the documents are in line with those used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Bloomberg added that the courses, which are led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), last for three to five months and began to be offered in 2016. Dozens of Hamas and PIJ terrorists traveled to Iran to participate in the courses. A CIA official told Bloomberg that Iran also offered the courses to the Houthis in Yemen and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Kamala Harris called President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to concede the election and congratulate him on his victory, according to a senior adviser to the vice president. The aide, who declined to be identified discussing a private conversation, said Harris talked about the need for a peaceful transfer of power. Harris, once viewed as a potential savior for the Democratic Party after Joe Biden ‘s reelection campaign stalled, is reckoning with a profound rejection by American voters in this year’s presidential election. She trailed in every battleground state to Trump, a man she described as an existential danger to the country’s foundational institutions. And Trump appeared on track to win the popular vote for the first time in his three campaigns for the White House — even after two impeachments, felony convictions and his attempt to overturn his previous election loss. Harris planned to deliver a concession speech Wednesday at 4 p.m., her office announced. She’ll speak at Howard University, her alma mater in Washington, where her supporters watched returns Tuesday night before being sent home after midnight as Trump pulled ahead in battleground states. Biden plans to address the election results on Thursday. The White House said he spoke with Harris and Trump on Wednesday, and he invited the president-elect to meet with him soon. David Plouffe, a top Harris adviser, said campaign staffers “left it all on the field for their country.” “We dug out of a deep hole but not enough,” he said. “A devastating loss. In a bitter footnote for Harris, as the sitting vice president she is expected to oversee Congress’ ceremonial certification of the election. It’s the same role that Mike Pence played four years ago, when Trump directed his supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol. Although critics said the violent insurrection crystallized Trump’s threat to American democracy, that ultimately did not dissuade voters from electing him again. Harris became the Democratic candidate after Biden, who was already struggling to convince voters that he could serve as president until he was 86 years old, stumbled badly in his June 27 debate with Trump. He dropped out of the race on July 21 and endorsed his vice president, who swiftly unified the Democratic Party around her candidacy. It was a remarkable twist of fate for Harris. Four years earlier, her own presidential campaign flamed out and revealed the political limitations of someone once dubbed “the female Barack Obama.” Even though Biden chose Harris as his running mate, she languished in the role after taking office as the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president. Some Democrats started writing her off when they pondered the party’s future after Biden. But Harris found fresh purpose after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, and she became the White House’s leading advocate for abortion rights. Harris also made a more concerted effort to network with local politicians, business leaders and cultural figures, forging connections that could serve her down the road. The moment arrived sooner than she anticipated, and she was catapulted into the presidential race with Biden’s departure only a month before the Democratic National Convention. Harris instantly reset the terms of the contest with Trump. She was 18 years younger and a former courtroom […]
In a push to expand severely limited US-Israel travel options, Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is in talks with US regulators to allow Israir Airlines to launch direct flights between Tel Aviv and New York. If approved, Israir aims to start flights to Newark Airport as early as this winter, pending completion of complex regulatory and logistical arrangements. Israir plans to operate these flights through a “wet-lease” agreement, where a foreign carrier supplies the aircraft and crew, while Israir operates the flights under its own brand. However, multiple regulatory hurdles remain. Israir must secure clearances from US authorities and ensure compliance with Israel’s aviation regulations, which currently govern its ability to expand services. The initiative comes at a time when El Al is the sole airline offering direct service between Israel and New York. Major US carriers have scaled back their Israel routes: American Airlines has suspended flights until at least September 2025, Delta Airlines until March 2025, and United Airlines indefinitely. Israir’s entry into the market would provide travelers with more choices and potentially lower fares as competition increases. Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev expressed strong support for the initiative, citing it as an example of Israeli companies stepping up in challenging times. “I thank the CAA for their thorough work in easing the travel crisis caused by recent events. This move shows Israeli companies demonstrating national responsibility,” Regev said. “I commend Rami Levy and Israir Airlines for their efforts to launch this new route. It’s a step toward healthier competition, more options for the public, and reduced travel costs.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Shrapnel from a rocket launched by Hezbollah at central Israel early Wednesday afternoon fell in Kfar Chabad. One of the shrapnel parts penetrated the roof of a kindergarten but b’chasdei Hashem, caused no injuries. The staff and children had quickly evacuated to a protected space when the sirens sounded, saving them from injury. This isn’t the first time that Kfar Chabad experienced a neis. On October 7, 2024, Hamas fired a barrage of rockets at central Israel from Khan Younis. Shrapnel from an interceptor missile fell on a house in Kfar Chabad, lightly injuring two women. The photos of the extensive destruction caused by the shrapnel showed that it was a huge neis that there were no serious injuries or casualties. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening, spoke with US President-elect Donald Trump and was among the first to call him. Their conversation was warm and cordial. The Prime Minister congratulated President-elect Trump on his election victory. The two agreed to work together for Israel’s security, and also discussed the Iranian threat.
Rafael strengthened Wednesday into a powerful Category 3 hurricane ahead of its expected landfall in western Cuba, where it was forecast to bring “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash floods. The storm, which knocked out power and dumped raon on the Cayman Islands and Jamaica. expected it hit the Isle of Youth in the coming hours and make landfall later on Wednesday. Classes and public transport were suspended on parts of the island as authorities issued an alarm for the incoming weather for the west of the country. Workers secured buildings and cleaned up garbage along Havana’s coastline in preparation for floods. Authorities also cancelled flights in certain areas like Havana and Varadero. Thousands of people in the west of the island were evacuated as a prevention measure. “Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” warned the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm was located about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east-southeast of the Isle of Youth and around 85 miles (135 kilometers) south-southeast of Havana. It had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) and was moving northwest at 14 mph (22 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Forecasters expected the storm to later weaken over Cuba before, but emerge in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane. Cubans have already been struggling with blackouts while recovering from another hurricane two weeks ago that killed at least six people in the eastern part of the island. The U.S. State Department issued an advisory for Cuba on Tuesday afternoon, offering departure flights to non-essential staff and American citizens, and advising others to “reconsider travel to Cuba due to the potential impact of Tropical Storm Rafael.” On Tuesday morning, the Cuban Civil Defense called on Cubans to prepare as soon as possible, because when the storm makes landfall “it’s important to stay where you are.” Silvia Pérez, a 72-year-old retiree living in a coastal area of Havana was among those scrambling to prepare. As other neighbors moved appliances and other furniture from ground floor homes, worried about floods, Pérez stocked up on water and food. “This is a night I don’t want to sleep through, between the battering air and the trees,” Pérez said. “I’m scared for my friends and family.” A hurricane warning was in effect on Wednesday for a portion of the Cayman Islands and the Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth. A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila, as well as the lower and middle Florida Keys from Key West to west of the Channel 5 Bridge, and Dry Tortugas. The storm on Tuesday knocked out power in parts of Jamaica and unleashed flooding and landslides. The Jamaica Public Service, the island’s electricity provider, said in a statement late Tuesday that impassable roads were preventing crews from restoring power in some areas. Power outages were reported across the Cayman Islands after a direct hit late Tuesday, and schools remained closed on Wednesday. “While conditions have improved on Grand Cayman, residents are advised to exercise extreme caution on the roads and near coastlines as rough seas and residual flooding risks may persist,” the government said in […]
A British doctor who was disgruntled about his inheritance and tried to kill his mother’s boyfriend by injecting him with a fake COVID-19 vaccine that was poison was sentenced Wednesday to 31 years in prison. Dr. Thomas Kwan disguised himself as a nurse making home virus booster visits to infect Patrick O’Hara with a flesh-eating poison because he believed the older man stood in the way of him inheriting his mother’s home some day. “It was an audacious plan to murder a man in plain sight and you very nearly succeeded,” Justice Christina Lambert said. “You were certainly obsessed by money and more particularly, the money to which you considered yourself entitled.” Kwan, 53, pleaded guilty last month in Newcastle Crown Court to attempted murder. O’Hara, 72, survived after being in intensive care for several weeks and having part of his arm cut away to prevent the necrotizing fasciitis from spreading. The ordeal left him “a shell of an individual,” he said. O’Hara and Kwan’s mother, Jenny Leung, have since split up. Police used surveillance camera footage to track down Kwan. They found he had hatched an elaborate plot by sending fake letters with National Health Service logos, hyperlinks and even a QR code to offer a home visit for a COVID booster to O’Hara. Kwan disguised himself in head-to-toe protective gear, tinted glasses and a surgical mask and drove a vehicle to the appointment in January using fake license plates. Kwan, who was described as having a morbid obsession with poisons, used iodomethane, a substance found in pesticides that he thought would be difficult for medics to detect, the judge said. Police found arsenic, liquid mercury and castor beans, which can be used to make the chemical weapon ricin, during a search of his home. He had instructions on how to make ricin on his computer. The judge said Kwan was upset about getting a smaller share of his inheritance when his father died. He had a strained relationship with his mother, and learned that she had a provision in her will that would allow O’Hara to stay in her home if she died before him. “Your resentment and bitterness towards your mother and Mr. O’Hara was all to do with money and your belief you were not being given money which you thought you were entitled to,” Lambert said. O’Hara said justice had been served by the sentence. (AP)
Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party have just faced a resounding rejection from the American people, and the reasons are as clear as they are damning. For too long, Democrats thought they could sell a failing vision, attack their opponents with baseless accusations, and rely on a complicit media to shield them from accountability. But this election proved that people see right through it. First, the obsession with targeting Donald Trump backfired spectacularly. They arrested him, charged him, plastered his mugshots across every news outlet, and called him a “convicted felon.” The left-leaning legal crusaders like New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg thought they could smear Trump into oblivion. They even stooped as low as trying to turn assassination attempts on Trump into some kind of bizarre media sideshow. Did they really think this relentless targeting would somehow turn Trump supporters against him? It did the opposite: it made people support him even more. Every smear and every attack rallied Americans around a man who has refused to bow to the liberal mob. Then there’s the unrelenting dishonesty about Biden’s health and capabilities. For years, the media, with full support from the Biden administration, assured Americans that Biden was “sharper than ever.” They ignored or “fact-checked” away the countless clips of him forgetting basic details, misplacing himself on stage, and showing disturbing signs of cognitive decline. They labeled anyone who pointed out the obvious as a conspiracy theorist or pawn of “Russian propaganda.” But Americans weren’t fooled. And when Biden finally went head-to-head with Trump, the contrast was night and day, exposing Biden as a man far from “sharp” and out of his depth. The Democrats’ “solution” to this mess? Kamala Harris—who became the nominee without winning a single primary, without the people’s vote, and without any substantial support. She was thrust onto a disillusioned base of moderate Democrats and independents who couldn’t be further from inspired. Harris had spent her time vilifying Republicans, labeling the other side as “Nazis,” “fascists,” and worse, alienating a massive portion of the country. Did she really think calling millions of Americans “garbage” would win their support? What became painfully clear is that Democrats are out of touch and the media that defends them is beyond repair. Polls that claimed Democrats had this election in the bag turned out to be fiction, exposed as nothing but a desperate attempt to control the narrative. Even after the election, leftist outlets tried to rewrite history, claiming that “Republicans” were the divisive ones. But Americans are done with these lies. They’re tired of being told what to believe by “legacy media,” a failing institution that has been complicit in misleading the public every step of the way. This election has sent a message that can’t be ignored: Americans are done with corruption, tired of left-wing hypocrisy, and ready for leaders who respect their intelligence and stand up for their values. That’s why they chose Trump. Because he doesn’t bow to the mob, doesn’t play the games, and doesn’t treat everyday Americans as if they’re incapable of thinking for themselves. Kamala Harris and her party might not understand it, but the people of this country do. And their voices were loud and clear on election night. Signed, Happy Trump Supporter Avi S. The […]
Donald Trump has promised sweeping action in a second administration. The former president and now president-elect often skipped over details but through more than a year of policy pronouncements and written statements outlined a wide-ranging agenda that blends traditional conservative approaches to taxes, regulation and cultural issues with a more populist bent on trade and a shift in America’s international role. Trump’s agenda also would scale back federal government efforts on civil rights and expand presidential powers. A look at what Trump has proposed: Immigration “Build the wall!” from his 2016 campaign has become creating “the largest mass deportation program in history.” Trump has called for using the National Guard and empowering domestic police forces in the effort. Still, Trump has been scant on details of what the program would look like and how he would ensure that it targeted only people in the U.S. illegally. He’s pitched “ideological screening” for would-be entrants, ending birth-right citizenship (which almost certainly would require a constitutional change), and said he’d reinstitute first-term policies such as “Remain in Mexico,” limiting migrants on public health grounds and severely limiting or banning entrants from certain majority-Muslim nations. Altogether, the approach would not just crack down on illegal migration, but curtail immigration overall. Abortion Trump played down abortion as a second-term priority, even as he took credit for the Supreme Court ending a woman’s federal right to terminate a pregnancy and returning abortion regulation to state governments. At Trump’s insistence, the GOP platform, for the first time in decades, did not call for a national ban on abortion. Trump maintains that overturning Roe v. Wade is enough on the federal level. Trump said last month on his social media platform Truth Social that he would veto a federal abortion ban if legislation reached his desk — a statement he made only after avoiding a firm position in his September debate against Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. But it’s unclear if his administration would aggressively defend against legal challenges seeking to restrict access to abortion pills, including mifepristone, as the Biden administration has. Anti-abortion advocates continue to wage legal battles over the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug as well as the agency’s relaxed prescribing restrictions. Trump is also unlikely to enforce Biden’s guidance that hospitals must provide abortions for women who are in medical emergencies, even in states with bans. Taxes Trump’s tax policies broadly tilt toward corporations and wealthier Americans. That’s mostly due to his promise to extend his 2017 tax overhaul, with a few notable changes that include lowering the corporate income tax rate to 15% from the current 21%. That also involves rolling back Democratic President Joe Biden’s income tax hikes on the wealthiest Americans and scrapping Inflation Reduction Act levies that finance energy measures intended to combat climate change. Those policies notwithstanding, Trump has put more emphasis on new proposals aimed at working- and middle class Americans: exempting earned tips, Social Security wages and overtime wages from income taxes. It’s noteworthy, however, that his proposal on tips, depending on how Congress might write it, could give a back-door tax break to top wage earners by allowing them to reclassify some of their pay as tip income — a prospect that at its most extreme could see hedge-fund managers or top-flight attorneys taking advantage of […]
Three kedoshei elyon had one common concept when it came to learning Torah – they were the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar 1696-1743) when he came to Eretz Yisroel; the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 1707-1746) when he lived in Padua, Italy; and Hagaon, Harav Chaim Volozhiner, (1749-1821) the famous talmid of the Gaon of Vilna. They each had a yeshiva with ‘around-the-clock’ Torah learning, 24-hours a day, so that there would be no minute when the sound of Torah learning would not be heard in this world. The 24-hour period would be divided into shifts, and as one ended the next would begin. Torah-24 A “Torah-24” Center has been opened in Yerushalayim and the Nasi is Maran Sar Hatorah, Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l. Under ONE ROOF, from 6:00 am – 6:00 am, 10 kollelim fill successive learning shifts. Each kollel focuses on a specific area of in-depth Torah study. The “Torah-24” Kollelim include: Boker (Gemora), Yerushalmi, Bavli, Zeraim-Taharot, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Erev (Gemora), Chatzos- Zohar/Kabbolah, Erev Shabbos (Chumash / Medrash b’iyun). Already there are 52 avreichim metzuyonim, and a large number of candidates are vying for the remaining slots in the kollelim. All the avreichim are required to take rigorous monthly tests. Endorsements & Letters Endorsements include Maranan Hagaonim shlit”a: Harav Gershon Edelstein, Harav Berel Povarsky, Harav Shimon Badani, Harav Dovid Cohen, Harav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, Harav Chaim Feinstein, Harav Shimon Galai, Harav Shraga Shteinman. Letters of support-encouragement have been received from Maranan Hagaonim, shlit”a: Hamekubal Harav David Bazri, Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Elimelech Biderman, Hamekubal Harav Yaakov Meir Schechter, Harav Moishe Sternbuch, Harav Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss. For more “Torah-24” information click on: www.torah-24.com or call 718-766-5022
Hezbollah fired a heavy barrage of about 50 rockets within 15 minutes at the Galil and Tzfas on Wednesday afternoon, apparently targeting the air force base in Tzfas. Only about half of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome. Several rockets hit the Avivim moshav near the Israeli-Lebanese border and there are reports that four people were injured, several seriously. Several fires broke out on the moshav as a result of the rocket hits. One of the rocket impact sites in Avivim: Shortly after the attack on northern Israel, Hezbollah fired a second barrage of rockets at central Israel, following their first barrage on Wednesday morning. Shortly later, the IDF said that they intercepted one rocket launched by Hezbollah at central Israel. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
