Colombian President Gustavo Petro threatens a 50% tariff on U.S. goods if Trump’s measures proceed, offering his plane for migrant retrieval. He objects to the use of military aircraft and the shackling of migrants during deportation.
The White House announces that Israel’s deadline to withdraw from Lebanon has been extended to February 18, postponing the original Sunday deadline. Additionally, negotiations are underway for Lebanese prisoners to be released. The Whitehouse statement reads: “The arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the United States, will continue to be in effect until February 18, 2025. The Government of Lebanon, the Government of Israel, and the Government of the United States will also begin negotiations for the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon has been extended until February 18. Negotiations are underway for Lebanese prisoners to be released.
Millions of documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas have already been made public, but President Donald Trump has ordered the release of thousands of still-classified files. Trump signed the executive order Thursday as part of a flurry of executive actions taken in the first week of his second term. Many people who have studied what’s been released so far say the public shouldn’t anticipate any earth-shattering revelations, but there is still intense interest in details related to the assassination and the events surrounding it. And the possibility of significant new information is tantalizing to researchers. Here are some things to know: Trump’s order Thursday’s order directed the national intelligence director and attorney general to develop a plan within 15 days to release the records related to Kennedy’s assassination. It’s not clear though when the records might actually be made public. The order also aims to declassify the remaining federal records related to the 1968 assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. It says a plan must be developed within 45 days for the release of those files. After signing the order, Trump handed the pen to an aide and directed that it be given to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump has nominated to be the health secretary. He’s the nephew of John F. Kennedy and son of Robert F. Kennedy. The younger Kennedy, whose anti-vaccine activism has alienated him from much of his family, has said he isn’t convinced that a lone gunman was solely responsible for his uncle’s the assassination. In a post Friday on X, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. thanked Trump for ordering the release of the files and “trusting American citizens.” Nov. 22, 1963 When Air Force One carrying JFK and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy touched down in Dallas, they were greeted by a clear sky and enthusiastic crowds. With a reelection campaign on the horizon the next year, they went to Texas for a political fence-mending trip. But as the motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the Texas School Book Depository building. Police arrested 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald, who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer. A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate, concluded that Oswald acted alone and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that didn’t quell a web of alternative theories over the decades. The JFK files In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection of over 5 million records was required to be opened by 2017, barring any exemptions designated by the president. Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had said that he would allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the potential harm to national security. And while files continued to be released during President Joe Biden’s administration, some remain unseen. Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics and author of “The Kennedy Half-Century,” said that most researchers agree that roughly 3,000 records have not yet been released, either in whole or in part, and […]
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari declared: “An agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas. Hamas will free the kidnapped Arbel Yahud and two additional hostages before Friday, followed by three more hostages on Saturday. In return, Israel will allow displaced Gazans to move back from the south to the north of the Gaza Strip using the Netzarim Highway beginning tomorrow morning.”
Ron, the father of Daniella Gilboa, who was released from captivity on Shabbos, came to shul on Sunday morning to thank Hashem for his daughter’s release, reciting Nishmas in front of the open Aron Kodesh. An interesting fact about Gilboa is that her name used to be Danielle but her parents changed it to Daniella on the advice of a Rav two weeks after her abduction. The Rav told them that adding the letter “hei” to the end of a name symbolizes Hashem’s protection of that person. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has declared its opposition to any plans for evacuating Gaza that involve the displacement, transfer, or uprooting of Palestinians from their land, whether on a temporary or permanent basis. This statement was made in reaction to a proposal by Trump to relocate Gazans.
A man who survived being shoved onto subway tracks ahead of an oncoming train said that in spite of the physical and psychological trauma, he eventually plans to make his way back to the train. “This city is my home,” Joseph Lynskey told The New York Times in an interview published Friday, “and I won’t be intimidated.” Lynskey, 45, was standing on the platform in the West 18th Street station in Manhattan after lunch on New Year’s Eve when a hard shove from behind sent him flying as a 1 train approached. “My life did not flash before my eyes,” he said. “My thought was ‘I’ve been pushed, and I’m going to get hit by the train.’ ” Lynskey landed on his left side between the tracks. He had four broken ribs, a fractured skull, a ruptured spleen and a concussion. But that wasn’t all. “I looked up, and I was underneath the 1 train,” he said during the interview in the Brooklyn apartment he shares with his 16-year-old dachshund, Leo. Police called the attack, which was captured on surveillance video, random. A 23-year-old man, Kamel Hawkins, was arrested later that day. He has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault charges. The possibility of being pushed onto the tracks is a long-running nightmare for many New Yorkers. While it occurs rarely compared to the millions of rides each day, a push this past March killed a person in East Harlem. Lynskey’s ordeal has left him convinced city and state officials need to do more to address the violence on a system that is vital to New York. “The subway is the lifeline of this city,” he said. “I don’t think any New Yorker should have to stand against a wall or hold on to a pillar to feel safe as the train approaches.” “Unacceptable,” he added. “Do better. Protect your citizens.” Amid the shove and other high-profile attacks, Gov. Kathy Hochul has called for an increase in police presence on subways at night and an expansion of the state’s involuntary commitment laws to allow hospitals to compel more mentally ill people into treatment. Lynskey has lived in New York for 25 years and is the head of content and music programming at Gray V, a company that creates background music and playlists for businesses. He performs as a DJ under the stage name DJ Joe Usher, the newspaper said. He had met friends for lunch the afternoon of Dec. 31 and had planned to catch an express train back to Brooklyn to get ready for a New Year’s Eve party later that day. His plans changed at the entrance to the 18th Street station, when he decided to get out of the cold and take the approaching local 1 for one stop and then transfer. He said he was on the platform for under a minute and had glanced quickly at Spotify on his phone when “I felt the hardest shove.” Under the train, he knew the third rail just inches away could electrocute him so he kept as still as possible as he screamed for help: “I’ve been pushed! Someone, please, please help me!’” “Absolute chaos” from the platform followed as emergency workers arrived on the scene, he recalled. Two firefighters lowered themselves under the train and […]
This is what Secretary of State Marco Rubio had to say about the Columbian president refusing US Military aircraft to land with criminal migrants deported from the United States.
The Israeli restaurant Miriam, located in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, was vandalized early Sunday morning, with red paint splattered across its door and offensive graffiti scrawled on the exterior. New York City Council member Shahana Hanif, who represents the Park Slope area, shared a photo of the vandalized restaurant on social media, showing the words “Israel steals culture” and “genocide cuisine” written in red paint on the door. Hanif confirmed that her office is in contact with the police to investigate the incident. Of note, while Hanif said that she is working to address the antisemitic act, she has been one of the most outspoken, pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel politicians in New York since the war in Gaza began. The vandalism has sparked a wave of criticism from other local officials, including Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, who took to X o denounce the act. “These kinds of vile attacks are continuing after the ceasefire agreement,” Levine wrote. “This restaurant, Miriam, is a beloved Middle Eastern venue whose only offense appears to be that the owner is Jewish. Disgusting.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
An astute observer would have noticed clear signs during the 2024 campaign. Trump repeatedly promised to end all wars and foreign entanglements. He demanded that the war in Gaza come to an end before his inauguration. His Vice Presidential pick, JD Vance, was aligned with the isolationist wing of the GOP and publicly disagreed with Kamala Harris when she referred to Iran as the greatest threat to the United States. Prominent figures like Mike Pence and John Bolton, who traditionally supported Israel, were no longer well represented. Instead, individuals like Tucker Carlson were given prominent roles at the RNC and MSG rally. This context leads us to the troubling situation we find ourselves in today at the onset of the second Trump administration. Steve Witkoff has been appointed as Trump’s new point man for Israel and the Middle East. It is widely known that Witkoff exerted significant pressure on Netanyahu to reach a hostage deal that many believed was profoundly misguided. According to various media sources, Witkoff read Netanyahu the riot act, demanding painful concessions. The Times of Israel reported that Witkoff warned Netanyahu about the dire consequences of not reaching an agreement. He emphasized that the threat of “Hell to pay” directed at Hamas also applied to Israel. Caroline Glick from the Jerusalem Post criticized Witkoff for creating a moral equivalency between Israel and Hamas. To make matters even worse, Witkoff recently stated in an interview with FOX News that it would be beneficial for the United States to engage in direct dialogue with Hamas. Conservative radio host Mark Levin condemned Witkoff on X, noting that even Secretary of State Antony Blinken never suggested working with Hamas. Trump’s recent appointment of Michael DiMino as the top Middle East official at the Department of Defense has raised concerns among the pro-Israel community. DiMino has opposed providing Israel with any weapons, including defensive ones, to use against Hizbullah. Additionally, he has downplayed Iran’s attacks on Israel, which has further alarmed supporters of Israel. The fact that traditional hawkish members of the GOP have little influence in the new administration adds to the unease regarding the future of U.S.-Israel relations. Dan Cadwell, an isolationist and strong ally of Pete Hegseth, also has a record of pacifism towards Iran and has had an outsized role in selecting Defense Department personnel for the Trump administration. He has tapped Elbridge Colby as under-secretary of defense for policy. Colby is on record opposing any military action against Iran. He has downplayed the threat of a nuclear Iran and has claimed that the containment of a nuclear-armed Iran is a viable option. Both Cadwell and Colby criticized Israel’s campaign against Hizbullah. Even Trump has partially retracted his first administration’s tough-on-Iran stance and now argues that reaching a new deal with Iran would be preferable. If the Hamas deal is any indicator, such a deal would force Israel into making concessions it can ill afford. Trump also mocked the plight of Israeli hostages when he called them to the stage during his inauguration event only to use them as props while carrying on about the so-called January 6th hostages. While Trump has taken some positive action for Israel, it has been primarily symbolic and without much practical effect. He removed Biden’s EO that stopped ICC sanctions, but Trump […]
Discount store chain Target said Friday that it would join rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have come under attack from conservative activists and, as of this week, the White House. Target, which operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people, said it already had planned to end the racial program this year. The company said Friday that it also would conclude the diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, goals it previously set in three-year cycles. On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending DEI programs across the federal government. The order calls for revoking all DEI mandates, policies, preferences and activities, along with the review and revision of existing employment practices, union contracts, and training policies or programs. (AP)
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has reversed his decision and is reportedly now “offering his presidential plane to help repatriate deportees from the US.”
New details about the captivity of the female IDF soldiers, especially, Daniella Gilboa, were revealed on Sunday by Etty Schwartz, Daniella’s great aunt. Speaking with Kan News, she said “She (Daniella’s mother) can’t say much and I can’t say much either. She also didn’t tell me a lot. She said that at times they only ate one or two pitas a day, until their stomachs swelled.” “Sometimes there was food and they would cook and prepare food,” she added. According to other reports, some of the female soldiers were forced to cook food for their captors but forbidden from tasting any of it. At least one female soldier was held alone in a dark tunnel for an extended period of time with almost no food. Schwartz said that one positive fact was that most of them were held together in one place. “Thankfully they were together, they encouraged each other. They learned Arabic and speak fluent Arabic now. They probably spoke with their captors and there were also the captors’ children.” Schwartz also reported that Daniella mentioned that while in Gaza, she and her friends slept on mattresses and were dressed in Arab clothing. “She didn’t want to divulge too many details,” she added. Schwartz added that Daniella has a bullet in her leg that has not yet been removed. “You can see it in the abduction video when she jumped on one leg.” Liri, Na’ama, Karina, and Daniella are expected to remain in Beilinson Hospital, in a department that resembles more of a hotel than a hospital, for at least the next four days. Channel 12 reported that the medical team treating the released hostages, as well as the family members, are well aware that their initial euphoria upon returning to Israel does not reflect the full picture. The families recounted that one of the female soldiers, who had spent long months alone in a narrow tunnel, asked other captives she encountered afterward, “Tell me, are we alive?” Family members are preparing themselves for the memories to resurface over time and for difficulties to arise. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher, the three hostages released from Hamas captivity a week ago as part of the first phase of the deal with Hamas, were discharged on Sunday from Sheba Medical Center, where they were hospitalized following their release. The Sheba Medical Center reported: “The three returnees have completed their stay and examinations. We will continue to support them and their families. We remain prepared and alert until the last hostage is returned.” During their 471 days of captivity, the three were moved from place to place several times. Among other places, they were held in an apartment in Gaza City – which was constantly guarded by Hamas terrorists, served as human shields for terrorists when taken to a humanitarian complex in the Strip, and were held in a tunnel without exposure to sunlight. The hostages reported that during their captivity they learned to speak Arabic. Emily Damari lost two of her fingers after being shot at by Hamas terrorists on October 7 before she was abducted. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
President Donald Trump pushed back on Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Sunday after Petro’s regime refused to allow U.S. deportation flights to land in his country. The U.S. had sent two flights of Colombian illegal aliens from the U.S. this weekend as part of Trump’s burgeoning deportation program. Petro argued on X that the U.S. cannot “treat Colombian migrants as criminals,” leading to backlash from Trump. “I was just informed that two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of Illegal Criminals, were not allowed to land in Colombia. This order was given by Colombia’s Socialist President Gustavo Petro, who is already very unpopular amongst his people,” Trump wrote on social media. “Petro’s denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States, so I have directed my Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures,” Trump continued. Trump’s says he has ordered a 25% tariff on all goods coming into the U.S. from Colombia, a tariff that will rise to 50% after one week. He also ordered a travel ban and Visa revocations for all Colombian government officials, including their “allies and supporters.” He also ordered enhanced Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspections of “all Colombian nationals and cargo.” “These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!” Trump warned. Petro has yet to respond directly to Trump’s retaliation on Sunday. He initially condemned the migrant flights, however. “The US cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I deny the entry of American planes carrying Colombian migrants into our territory. The United States must establish a protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before we receive them,” Petro wrote. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A multi-vehicle crash at South Parker Drive and Forshay Road on Sunday afternoon prompted a large emergency response. Six individuals were transported to local hospitals, with Forshay Road closed between Parker Blvd and Crabapple Court. Motorists are advised to avoid the area. FULL ARTICLE ON MONSEY SCOOP
People are listing phones preloaded with TikTok for tens of thousands of dollars on eBay, Facebook marketplace and other online storefronts — though it is not clear if there are many buyers at those prices. TikTok was briefly unavailable to U.S. users over the weekend, but as of Sunday anyone who had previously downloaded it has been able to use it. The app is still not available for download on Apple and Google’s app stores, so anyone who didn’t think to get TikTok before Sunday is out of luck. As a result, some entrepreneurial spirits are selling phones and tablets that have TikTok — and other apps from its parent company ByteDance, such as Lemon8 and video editor CapCut. On eBay, listings could be found for as much as $50,000 (or as little as $340) on Friday. While it’s not clear how many such phones have sold, the ones selling for hundreds have received the most bids. One seller, Nicholas Matthews, who lives in New York, said he decided to sell the phone when he saw that TikTok was in high demand. He listed an iPhone 14 Plus with TikTok for $10,000. As of Friday, Matthews said his highest bid was for $4,550. “I’m just expecting to sell this one phone,” he said. TikTok has about 170 million users in the U.S. The ban does not target individual users, who are technically free to use it as long as they could. Ebay did not immediately respond to a message for comment on the listings on Friday. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump directed his Justice Department to pause enforcement of the ban until early April. But a host of questions remain — including whether Trump has the authority to issue such an order and if TikTok’s China-based parent would be amenable to selling the popular social media platform. (AP)
Federal agencies have begun removing resources for underrepresented Americans from their webpages following President Donald Trump’s executive order cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Agencies also have been cancelling staff trainings and shuttering diversity offices to comply with the order from Trump, who has called for all DEI staff to be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off. Documents on DEI have been removed from websites at agencies including the Office of Personnel Management, State Department and Department of Homeland Security. Web addresses that once led to DEI pages now display “Page Not Found — 404” messages or notes above archived material explaining the change. At some agencies, the drive to remove diversity mentions was creating widespread questions and confusion. Lacking clear guidance, Defense Department staff members were pulling websites down in often inconsistent ways. The Army, as an example, temporarily removed its assault guidelines — raising questions about what message that might be sending, considering that Trump’s defense nominee Pete Hegseth has been involved in sex assault allegations, which he denies. The guidelines were back up late Thursday. Some of the materials that vanished aimed to help agencies recruit diverse workforces and foster a sense of belonging for employees and students in schools across America. Critics say the rollbacks could result in dramatic shifts in hiring and a return to discriminatory practices of the past. Among the sites taken down was a page dedicated to the Inaugural Treasury Advisory Committee on Racial Equity created during the Biden administration. Dorothy Brown, a Georgetown law professor who served on the committee, said the order has far-reaching implications for workforce diversity. “Conservatives would say it is wrong to target someone based on their race – but that is exactly what Trump is doing,” she said. The State Department on Wednesday dismantled its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and removed the link to it from its website. The office had been created by former Secretary of State Antony Blinken with fanfare shortly after he took office and had produced reports identifying strategies for attracting minorities and women into the department’s workforce. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a cable this week to all U.S. embassies and consulates abroad barring them from flying anything other than the American flag or flags to honor prisoners of war or the wrongfully detained. The directive effectively banned the display of LGBTQ+ pride or Black Lives Matter flags, which had been permitted under the Biden administration. On Thursday night, the Education Department announced it had removed or archived hundreds of guidance documents, reports and training materials. The department said it cancelled contracts totaling more than $2.6 million for staff DEI training. The pages that were taken down include “Resources for LGBTQI+ Students,” an overview of civil rights laws related to “Race, Color, or National Origin Discrimination,” and guidance titled “Avoid the Discriminatory Use of Artificial Intelligence.” An Education Department statement said the deleted pages “encouraged schools and institutions of higher education to promote or endorse harmful ideological programs.” Trump has called DEI programs “discrimination” and insisted on restoring strictly “merit-based” hiring. Conservative groups have praised the rollback. Parents Defending Education, an organization that has filed lawsuits challenging diversity initiatives at schools, applauded Trump for taking steps “to root out these programs permanently.” Attacks on […]
