Matzav

New York City’s political landscape shifted dramatically with the election of Zohran Mamdani, who became the city’s first Muslim mayor and declared his victory with a fiery speech inside a Brooklyn mosque, as the crowd erupted with chants of “Allahu Akbar.”

At just 34, Mamdani — a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist from Queens — used his post-election remarks to outline a sweeping vision that ties faith, socialism, and activism into one cause. He called for wealth redistribution, collective responsibility, and the dismantling of capitalist systems he claimed have oppressed working people for generations.

The remarks came during Friday Jumaah prayers on November 8, setting a tone that mirrored the radical messaging that propelled his campaign. He railed against capitalism, championed state intervention in the economy, and framed financial success as a form of exploitation.

As Mamdani spoke about “economic justice” and the moral imperative to “share resources,” the mosque’s atmosphere blurred the line between political rally and religious revival, unsettling many New Yorkers who viewed the scene as emblematic of a city that has veered sharply left.

To his supporters, the moment was history in the making — a symbol of representation and progress. But to critics across the country, the imagery captured how deeply New York has drifted from its pragmatic and business-oriented legacy.

Mamdani’s rise was fueled by his work within the Democratic Socialists of America, a movement known for advocating defunding the police, expanding government control over private enterprise, and raising taxes in the name of social equity. His political base includes progressive activists, left-wing community groups, and foreign policy advocates who have frequently condemned U.S. allies like Israel and advanced divisive identity politics.

What unfolded at the mosque, many critics argued, was exactly what they feared: a merging of faith-driven symbolism and hardline ideology designed to rally his base under the banner of moral righteousness.

Throughout his address, Mamdani cited figures like Malcolm X, urging listeners to see socialism as an ethical calling — a moral duty to redistribute wealth and correct systemic imbalance. Opponents say this framing allows him to mask authoritarian impulses beneath a language of compassion and equality.

Republican leaders seized on the moment as proof of what happens when a city is ruled by one political faction for too long — warning that New York’s traditions of safety, prosperity, and common sense governance are being traded for social upheaval and economic decline.

{Matzav.com}

A Tudor-style house tucked into the quiet streets of Jamaica Estates, Queens — the home where President Donald Trump spent his early years — has reemerged on the market for $2.3 million, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The five-bedroom residence, originally constructed in 1940 by Fred Trump, was the family’s first home in the neighborhood before they moved to a larger property nearby. Though its exterior still bears the signature brick-and-stucco look of mid-century Queens architecture, the house’s interior has undergone a dramatic rebirth after years of decline.

Developer Tommy Lin purchased the property in February for $835,000, a steep discount from its past sale prices, after it sat vacant and crumbling. “There was no water in the house, no power,” Lin told the Journal. “It was not livable.” What followed was an eight-month renovation that stripped the home to its bare framework and rebuilt it from within.

While the project might appear politically charged given its history, Lin insists that wasn’t his motivation. He sees the house’s value as rooted in its location and provenance, not in presidential nostalgia. “I’m not buying it for politics,” he said, noting that Jamaica Estates remains one of Queens’ priciest and most desirable areas, where luxury homes regularly exceed $3 million.

Real estate agent Jevon Gratineau of Brown Harris Stevens said recent neighborhood sales reflect the area’s strength. A six-bedroom home nearby sold for about $4 million earlier this year, while listings below the million-dollar mark are becoming increasingly scarce.

This particular home has seen its share of curious ownership twists. On the night of the 2016 election, Manhattan investor Michael Davis snapped it up for $1.39 million, betting that if Trump won, the home’s value would soar. His gamble paid off — by Inauguration Day 2017, he flipped it to a Chinese buyer for $2.14 million.

Davis later rented the home for $4,000 per month and briefly transformed it into an Airbnb, outfitted entirely in Trump memorabilia. “The only thing to read in the house was ‘The Art of the Deal,’” he recalled. A plaque once claimed the master bedroom was “likely the site of Trump’s conception.” The Airbnb, Davis said, was “booked almost indefinitely” — until a short-term lease to Oxfam during the U.N. General Assembly brought unwanted attention and effectively ended the arrangement.

“I thought I’d make 100 grand. I did not think that I would make millions of dollars on this. That was not on my bingo card,” Davis said, adding that he still keeps a miniature bobblehead of the house on his desk as a reminder.

After the rental experiment ended, the once-famous property slipped into neglect. A burst pipe led to severe water damage and mold infestations, and neighbors complained of blight — and stray cats. “A beautiful house was left abandoned and no one took care of it for all this time,” one frustrated neighbor told The Post. “No one occupied it, no one used it and it was left as an eyesore and we, the community, had to take care of it.”

By the time Lin took over, the house had been overrun by about two dozen cats, the basement was covered in mold, and the roof required total replacement. Lin invested an estimated $500,000 in repairs and upgrades, bringing his total investment to more than $1.3 million.

Today, the restored home spans roughly 2,500 square feet above ground, with nearly 1,000 additional square feet in the basement across four levels. It features a sunroom overlooking the backyard and retains one relic of the past — an old wood stove believed to be original. Lin added modern amenities including smart entry systems and automated toilets, giving new life to a house that once marked the beginnings of one of America’s most famous figures.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump proposed an unexpected solution to the ongoing government shutdown, suggesting that billions of federal dollars currently earmarked for insurance companies under the Affordable Care Act be sent directly to Americans instead.

“I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over,” he wrote Saturday on Truth Social, offering no further details on how such a plan would be implemented.

The president’s proposal came as the shutdown entered its longest stretch in U.S. history, with Congress deadlocked over how to move forward. Just a day earlier, Senate Republicans rejected a compromise offered by Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that would have reopened the government while extending Affordable Care Act subsidies for another year.

That Democratic plan would have kept federal ACA subsidies intact until at least the end of next year but dropped the party’s push for a longer-term renewal of Obamacare tax credits. Those subsidies—used by more than 20 million Americans—are set to expire at the end of December if no agreement is reached.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune dismissed the Democrats’ offer on Friday, calling it a “non-starter.” Neither Schumer nor Thune’s offices responded to requests for comment on Trump’s counterproposal. The White House also did not immediately provide clarification on how the president’s plan to redirect ACA funds would function.

The impasse in Congress has centered around health care funding, with Democrats insisting that a short-term funding bill include the expiring subsidies, while Republicans argue that the government must first reopen before additional policy issues are addressed. Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also did not immediately comment on the latest developments.

In a series of additional Truth Social posts, Trump renewed his push for Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes to pass most legislation. With Republicans holding 53 seats and Democrats controlling 45, along with two independents who caucus with them, changing the rule would allow the GOP to pass bills with a simple majority.

“The Democrats are cracking like dogs on the Shutdown because they are deathly afraid that I am making progress with the Republicans on TERMINATING THE FILIBUSTER! Whether we make a Deal or not, THE REPUBLICANS MUST ‘BLOW UP’ THE FILIBUSTER,” Trump wrote, claiming momentum within his party to adopt what he has described as the “Nuclear Option.”

Senate Republicans have largely resisted such a move, reiterating earlier in the week that they would not support changing the chamber’s long-standing procedural rule. Still, Trump insisted that he is “making progress” with members of his party on the issue—signaling he views both the shutdown and the filibuster battle as linked opportunities to reshape Washington’s balance of power.

{Matzav.com}

On November 8, 2025, The Blaze unleashed what it called a bombshell revelation: that the elusive January 6 pipe bomber had finally been identified as Shauni Rae Kerkhoff, a onetime Capitol Police officer now employed by the CIA. The report raced through right-wing media outlets and online forums, igniting a storm of speculation about a supposed deep-state conspiracy. But before long, even The Blaze itself conceded that the claim does not withstand serious examination.

The central thrust of the article relied on a forensic technique known as gait analysis, which studies a person’s walking patterns. The outlet claimed that an algorithm produced a “94%-98% match” between Kerkhoff and the suspect seen in surveillance footage, supported, it said, by “intelligence sources.” Yet the crucial ingredient—official confirmation—was entirely absent. The FBI, Department of Justice, and Capitol Police declined to comment, and Department of Justice special attorney Ed Martin flatly stated that the agency “has not identified Kerkhoff as the suspect.” That statement, coming from the only office empowered to prosecute the case, directly undercuts the premise of The Blaze’s entire investigation.

Without government validation, the story’s credibility collapses. The Blaze framed its findings as if multiple federal sources had confirmed the match, but Martin’s denial contradicts that portrayal completely. If the DOJ, after years of investigation, says it has not identified the suspect, what does that say about the reliability of a news outlet’s “algorithmic match”?

Adding to the uncertainty is the scientific method at the heart of the claim. Gait analysis, while occasionally used as supporting evidence, is far from conclusive. The American Bar Association itself warns that it “can be compelling, corroborating evidence” only when paired with other proof. The Blaze’s story, however, relies entirely on this single form of analysis. The report even suggests that the FBI might have tampered with the footage—reducing frame rates—while simultaneously asserting that the compromised video still produced a near-perfect match. If the footage was manipulated, how can the result be trusted?

Then there’s the matter of anonymity. The Blaze never identified the gait analyst responsible for the alleged match. Readers were offered no credentials, no peer-reviewed study, and no details of how the conclusion was reached. Instead, the publication leaned on unnamed “intelligence sources” who supposedly agreed with the result. No names. No expertise. No accountability.

What happened next followed a familiar pattern. The moment the story appeared, right-wing commentators and influencers broadcast it as established fact. Within hours, social platforms were awash in claims that the “FBI/CIA coup” had finally been exposed. Other outlets in the same ideological sphere echoed the allegation without vetting it, skipping the caveats and skepticism that responsible reporting demands. Even after Ed Martin’s statement directly refuting the premise, the denial barely registered. The narrative had already taken on a life of its own.

There’s an important distinction to make: the pipe bomber case truly remains unsolved. The lack of progress after nearly five years and a $500,000 reward is troubling and deserves accountability. Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the FBI’s slow pace. But legitimate frustration doesn’t justify embracing sensational, unverified claims. The public deserves facts, not stories tailored to confirm political suspicion.

The Blaze’s theory fits too neatly into a pre-written script: that January 6 was a “false flag” engineered by federal agencies to entrap Trump supporters. To those already inclined to see the day that way, the Kerkhoff allegation was irresistible validation. Yet for anyone demanding verifiable evidence, the story raises far more questions than it answers.

Here’s what can be said definitively: the FBI has not identified the suspect. The DOJ has not confirmed any link between Kerkhoff and the bomber. Ed Martin explicitly denied that his office had made such an identification. And the so-called gait analysis that fueled the story has not undergone independent review or verification. Everything else—claims of a cover-up, of CIA involvement, of a grand internal conspiracy—rests on anonymous sourcing and uncorroborated forensics.

Accusing someone by name of a federal crime as serious as the January 6 bombing demands extraordinary proof. Anonymous insiders and speculative video analysis are not enough. Credible journalism requires corroboration, transparency, and confirmation from official channels. None of that exists here. Instead, we have a viral story crafted to fit a familiar political template—one that thrives on outrage more than accuracy.

The unanswered questions about the pipe bomber deserve real answers. The FBI should indeed be more forthcoming about its investigation. But progress won’t come from amplifying shaky evidence or fueling partisan suspicion. It will come from rigorous reporting and verified facts. Until genuine proof emerges, the Kerkhoff theory remains exactly what it appears to be: an unsubstantiated claim, discredited by the very officials who would be responsible for confirming it.

{Matzav.com}

Federal and local law enforcement are on the hunt for a gunman who opened fire at Border Patrol agents during an operation on Chicago’s Southwest Side today, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Authorities said the shooter, driving a black Jeep, fired multiple rounds near 26th Street and Kedzie Avenue while agents were conducting immigration enforcement in the area. “The shooter and vehicle remain at large, and this is a dynamic situation,” DHS posted on X.

During the same confrontation, agitators pelted agency vehicles with a paint can and bricks, further endangering the agents on scene. Chicago police officers later cleared the area, and no injuries were reported.

“This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of violence and obstruction,” the Department of Homeland Security warned. The agency added, “Over the past two months, we’ve seen an increase in assaults and obstruction targeting federal law enforcement during operations. These confrontations highlight the dangers our agents face daily and the escalating aggression toward law enforcement. The violence must end.”

The attack marks the latest in a string of violent encounters between federal agents and agitators in Chicago. In early October, Border Patrol agents shot a woman identified as Marimar Martinez after a group attempted to attack the officers. Martinez was accused by the FBI of recklessly driving toward an agent’s vehicle, running red lights, and swerving dangerously close to the officers. She pleaded not guilty, and the case remains ongoing.

Just ten days later, on October 14, two Venezuelan nationals, Yonder Enrique Tenefe-Perez and Luis Gerardo Pirela-Ramirez, allegedly rammed their car into a Border Patrol SUV during another enforcement operation. The collision triggered a chaotic scene as protesters hurled objects at federal agents. Both men were quickly taken into custody following the violent episode.

{Matzav.com}

Air travel across the United States faced major turbulence today as more than a thousand flights were canceled after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a reduction in air traffic because of widespread controller shortages brought on by the government shutdown, according to data from FlightAware.

Despite the sweeping cancellations, officials said the slowdown at roughly 40 of the nation’s busiest airports hadn’t yet spiraled into chaos. Still, the ongoing disruptions underscored the growing strain of what has become the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history.

Passengers found themselves stranded or rerouted as airports struggled to keep up. “We all travel. We all have somewhere to be,” said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was preparing to fly from Miami to the Dominican Republic to visit her family. “I’m hoping that the government can take care of this.”

Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina saw the most cancellations, with 120 arrivals and departures scrapped by midday — an unusual blow for what is normally a quiet travel day. Other major hubs including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and Orlando also saw mounting delays and cancellations.

Airports in Charlotte and Newark reported particularly severe slowdowns due to limited staffing, as the FAA continued grappling with the fallout from a workforce stretched thin by the shutdown’s escalating impact.

{Matzav.com}

The Supreme Court has stepped to pause a lower court’s directive that required the Trump administration to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for November. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued the temporary stay, saying the order will remain in effect until the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals renders its decision. As the justice responsible for emergency applications from that circuit, Jackson acted alone and did not refer the issue to the full Court.

The administration’s emergency appeal to the Supreme Court came only hours after the 1st Circuit had denied its request for a temporary pause of a Rhode Island judge’s ruling mandating full SNAP funding. The Justice Department, facing an end-of-day deadline to allocate billions in benefits, asked the high court to intervene immediately.

In its appeal, Solicitor General John Sauer warned of the severe consequences if the lower court order stood. “Given the imminent, irreparable harms posed by these orders, which require the government to transfer an estimated $4 billion by tonight, the Solicitor General respectfully requests an immediate administrative stay of the orders pending the resolution of this application by no later than 9:30pm this evening,” he wrote.

The case revolves around whether a federal judge can compel the administration to use $4 billion from Section 32 of the 1935 Agricultural Adjustment Act Amendment to fund the month’s SNAP payments. Administration officials argued the money was already earmarked for child nutrition programs known as WIC, saying they could not redirect it without jeopardizing that program.

Attorney General Pam Bondi sharply criticized the appeals court’s refusal to issue a stay, calling it “Judicial activism at its worst.” She added, “A single district court in Rhode Island should not be able to seize center stage in the shutdown, seek to upend political negotiations that could produce swift political solutions for SNAP and other programs, and dictate its own preferences for how scarce federal funds should be spent.”

The Trump administration maintained that diverting funds from WIC to SNAP would have devastating consequences, arguing that such actions would create chaos across government budgets. “Indeed, if every beneficiary of a mandatory spending program could run to court and force the agency to transfer funds from elsewhere, the result would be an unworkable and conflicting plethora of injunctions that reduce the federal fisc to a giant shell game,” the government warned.

But the coalition of local governments and nonprofits that brought the lawsuit accused the administration of exaggerating its hardship. “Defendants’ bald assertion that they will face irreparable injury is entirely unsupported, and they callously disregard the grave harm that will befall Plaintiffs and millions of Americans if they succeed,” they wrote. They insisted that the government’s $23 billion in remaining funds was sufficient to pay for both WIC and SNAP, estimating monthly costs of $3 billion and $8.5 billion, respectively.

Even as the legal wrangling continued, multiple states pressed forward with distributing benefits. At least nine states—including California, Wisconsin, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and New York—reported Friday that they had already begun or completed issuing November SNAP payments. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she instructed agencies to release full benefits, while New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared his state “acted immediately” to process them. Vermont’s treasurer, Mike Pieciak, said his state also completed full disbursements.

Kansas reported sending out over $31.6 million in benefits to more than 86,000 households, and Wisconsin confirmed $104.4 million had reached over 337,000 households. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, informed states that it was “working toward paying full November SNAP benefits,” and later told them in writing that “later today, FNS will complete the processes necessary to make funds available to support your subsequent transmittal of full issuance files to your EBT processor.”

Behind the courtroom tension was a sharp exchange between U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. and administration lawyers. During Thursday’s hearing, McConnell accused the government of “withholding SNAP benefits for political reasons.” He had previously ordered the administration to use emergency funds to cover the November 1 payments, but officials chose to fund the program only in part, citing the need to conserve resources for WIC.

McConnell, in a strongly worded ruling Thursday, demanded the Trump administration provide full funding by Friday and chastised President Donald Trump for comments suggesting he would not comply until the government reopened. He wrote that the President’s statement reflected “his intent to defy” the order. The administration countered in a later filing that Trump was “just stating a fact,” explaining, “The district court also accused the President of bad faith for declaring that full SNAP benefits would not resume until the government reopens. But that was just stating a fact—the appropriation has lapsed, and it is up to Congress to solve this crisis.”

The government has urged the appeals court to allow partial funding to continue while preserving funds for other safety net programs. Judge McConnell rejected a government request to pause his ruling, writing, “The request for a stay of this decision, either a stay or an administration stay, is denied. People have gone without for too long. Not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.”

As the shutdown dragged on, McConnell’s rebuke captured the urgency of the moment: “People have gone without for too long, not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.”

As Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman prepares to arrive at the White House in ten days, a high-ranking Saudi royal has revealed that normalization with Israel is not officially on the agenda — but Washington is expected to use the meeting to quietly pave the way for renewed engagement.

In an interview with Kan News, the Saudi insider explained that the U.S. intends to leverage the visit to restart diplomatic channels between Riyadh and Israel, similar to those that existed before the October 7 massacre. “The goal is to thaw the ice between the countries,” he said, noting that the American effort is designed to bridge the divide deepened by the Gaza war and encourage gradual rapprochement.

Despite that push, the Saudi source was clear that the kingdom’s stance has not shifted. Riyadh, he said, remains steadfast in its demand that any progress toward normalization must hinge on tangible movement toward a two-state solution. “In our view, that’s what will ensure that wars like this one don’t happen every five years,” the source told Kan News, stressing that Saudi Arabia considers the creation of an independent Palestinian state to be essential for lasting regional stability.

According to the report, bin Salman’s discussions with President Donald Trump and senior U.S. officials are expected to focus on regional security, economic cooperation, and the broader question of expanding Arab engagement with Israel — a process the Saudi leadership has approached with heightened caution since the Gaza conflict began.

Early this morning, Israeli authorities informed the family of Lior Rudaeff that his body had finally been brought back to Israel. The news came after forensic experts completed the identification process, confirming that the remains transferred by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad late Friday night were indeed those of the beloved Nir Yitzchak defender.

Rudaeff, 61, was killed on the morning of October 7, 2023, while heroically defending Kibbutz Nir Yitzchak from a brutal onslaught by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists. His body was then seized and taken to Gaza by the attackers. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, Lior left behind his wife, Yaffa; their children, Noam, Nadav, Bar, and Ben; grandchildren; his father, Giora; and siblings, Idit and Doron.

In recognition of his bravery during the Hamas-led massacre, Rudaeff was posthumously elevated to the rank of warrant officer in the reserves, as were other members of Israel’s civil defense squads who gave their lives in defense of their communities that day.

“The Israeli government shares in the deep sorrow of the Rudaeff family and of all the families of the fallen hostages,” the Prime Minister’s Office said. The statement further declared that Israel is “determined, committed and working tirelessly” to bring home the remaining five bodies of slain hostages still being held in Gaza, and stressed that Hamas is “required to fulfill its commitments to the mediators and return them as part of the implementation of the agreement.”

On Friday night, Hamas and Islamic Jihad handed Rudaeff’s remains to the Red Cross, which then delivered them to Israeli soldiers operating in Gaza. Following an inspection and a brief ceremony led by a military rabbi, the casket, draped in an Israeli flag, was escorted to the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv for official identification. Neither terror organization disclosed whose remains had been returned at the time of transfer.

Rudaeff became the 23rd hostage to be returned deceased since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, which paused the fighting that began after Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 invasion that left 1,200 Israelis murdered and 251 taken hostage. When the truce began, Hamas was still holding 48 captives—20 alive and 28 dead—and was obligated to return all within 72 hours. Though the surviving hostages have since been released, Israel continues to accuse Hamas of deliberately delaying the repatriation of the remaining bodies.

In line with the exchange agreement, following the identification of Rudaeff’s body, Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza, according to Nasser Hospital officials in Khan Younis.

On that fateful morning two years ago, Rudaeff was preparing to go on a motorcycle ride to the Ramon Crater when he received an urgent call summoning him to join the kibbutz’s emergency squad. Without hesitation, he geared up and took his position with fellow civil defense members at the entrance of Nir Yitzchak. When terrorists breached the fence, Rudaeff opened fire, preventing further infiltration. Witnesses said he also thwarted an attempt by terrorists to seize the body of a fallen comrade.

In the chaos of battle, Rudaeff radioed that he had been wounded and sent a final message of love to his wife and children. After that, all contact was lost. His death was officially confirmed by the IDF in May 2024.

“After 763 days of nightmare, he came home,” wrote his daughter, Noam, on social media, sharing a photo of her father. “Now you are home, now you are here.” She added, “Thank you to all the good people who stood with us in our uncompromising and humane fight to return him and all the hostages home.”

The Hostage Families Forum issued a statement mourning alongside the Rudaeffs: “The families of the hostages and the returned are embracing the family of Lior Rudaeff at this time, as their beloved Lior of blessed memory was returned to Israel today for proper burial.” The forum added, “Alongside the grief and the understanding that their hearts will never be whole, Lior’s return provides some measure of comfort to a family that has lived with agonizing uncertainty and doubt for over two years. We will not rest until the last hostage is brought home.”

Kibbutz Nir Yitzchak expressed deep sorrow at the closing of this painful chapter, emphasizing how Rudaeff’s bravery saved countless lives that day. “Exactly two years and a month ago, he left his home for the last time to protect his family and the place that had been his home all his life. Thanks to his courage and resourcefulness, a greater disaster was averted – but he paid for it with his life,” the kibbutz wrote. “Lior was a man of the land, family and community. A volunteer, neighbor and true friend who was always there for everyone. The entire Nir Yitzchak community grieves Lior’s passing and lovingly embraces his beautiful wife, his children, his grandchildren and all the family members at this difficult and heartbreaking moment of closing a circle.”

Born in Argentina, Lior was the middle of three children. He immigrated to Israel with his family on his seventh birthday and grew up in Nir Yitzchak, just miles from the Gaza border. He attended local schools and Ma’ale Habesor High School before serving in the IDF’s anti-aircraft unit. After marrying Yaffa in 1985, the couple built their life together in the kibbutz, where they raised their family and later welcomed grandchildren.

Throughout his life, Rudaeff was known for his energy and work ethic. From age 12, he could be found repairing vehicles in the kibbutz workshop. Over time, he earned licenses to operate nearly every kind of vehicle and shared his knowledge by teaching young kibbutz members to drive tractors and forklifts. For nearly two decades, he worked as a traffic safety officer for a transport company. He also dedicated four decades to the kibbutz security team and volunteered as a Magen David Adom ambulance driver for about 25 years.

{Matzav.com}

Despite reports from Hamas claiming to have found the body of IDF officer Lt. Hadar Goldin in Rafah, there remains no clarity regarding whether, or when, the terror group plans to hand over his remains to Israel. The statement, aired through Al Jazeera, ignited both hope and confusion, as Israeli officials initially anticipated that the transfer might occur Saturday night—but the militant group has since gone silent.

In an apparent act of psychological manipulation, Hamas earlier released footage through Al Jazeera purporting to show its operatives at a tunnel entrance alongside Red Cross representatives. The video depicted them extracting a bag seemingly containing a body, to which they attached a label reading “Hadar Golden” in Hebrew, English, and Arabic before removing it from the site.

As speculation grew, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir personally visited the Goldin family at their home Saturday night to brief them on the situation and share the information available to the army.

“The Chief of Staff met this evening with the Goldin family and updated them on the details known to the IDF at this time. This meeting comes in the context of the close relationship the Chief of Staff has maintained with the family over many years. The Chief of Staff reaffirmed his personal commitment and the IDF’s commitment to bringing Hadar and all fallen hostages home, and emphasized the importance of restraint during these sensitive moments, until his return and the completion of all necessary checks and verifications are completed,” the IDF said in an official statement.

The Goldin family, in turn, expressed both hope and resolve in their public message. “An entire nation is waiting for Hadar to be returned to us. This is a mission that must and can be accomplished, for all of us. The IDF Chief of Staff came after the conclusion of Shabbat to update us on the tremendous efforts underway to secure the release of the hostages, and we salute everyone involved in this national mission. We are awaiting official confirmation that Hadar has returned to Israel. In this country, we never give up on anyone, ever. We ask everyone to remain calm. Until it is final, it is not over.”

For now, uncertainty lingers as Israel continues to verify Hamas’s claim. The long-awaited return of Lt. Goldin—whose body has been held in Gaza since Operation Protective Edge in 2014—remains an unfinished chapter in the painful story of Israel’s missing soldiers.

{Matzav.com}

A quiet morning swim at Hatzuk Beach took an unexpected turn when Noa Itiel spotted something glimmering beneath the surface — the missing cell phone of ex-Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi. What began as a routine dip in the sea quickly became the discovery that may alter the course of a sensitive investigation.

“I was swimming, and suddenly, I saw a white device on the sea floor. I called my friend over. I dove and picked it up. When I got to the shore, I tapped the screen, and my jaw dropped. I saw the familiar photo that was in the press,” Itiel recounted in an interview with Walla!. The moment, she said, instantly felt unusual. Even before she reached land, she sensed that what she had found was far from ordinary.

The find came after nearly a week of extensive search efforts. Ever since the former MAG vanished along Israel’s central coastline for several hours on Sunday, divers, police officers, and volunteers with metal detectors had combed the beach and surrounding waters without success. Despite their tireless efforts, nothing surfaced—until Friday morning, when unusually clear water revealed the phone lying on the seabed. “I swim here every day,” she explained. “We usually look for sea turtles and fish. Today, I found something totally different.”

Itiel’s instincts immediately told her to protect what she had found. “Someone approached me and said that he would give the phone to the police, but I said that I would do it myself. I knew I was holding something unusual. Maybe even something that would influence the entire investigation. I knew I had to do it correctly.” Her caution proved warranted. Police later confirmed that the device did, in fact, belong to Tomer-Yerushalmi and has since been transferred to a forensic lab for analysis.

The find carried an emotional weight for Itiel that went beyond the discovery itself. “My family lost loved ones in October. Everything connects for me. I felt that I was part of something important – maybe even a form of closure. What guided me was that the truth would come to light and that we would be united.”

Investigators are now focusing on critical questions surrounding the incident: how the phone ended up in the sea, whether it had been deactivated beforehand, and if any attempt was made to conceal evidence. Experts believe that if the device’s contents can be retrieved, they could hold key insights — possibly the most revealing element yet in a mystery that continues to captivate national attention.

{Matzav.com}

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office declared on Friday that it had ordered the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and thirty-six senior Israeli figures, accusing them of committing genocide during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Turkish outlets reported that the sweeping warrant list includes several of Israel’s most prominent security leaders: Defense Minister Yisroel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and Naval Forces Commander David Saar Salama.

The announcement came after a lengthy inquiry overseen by the Istanbul Court of Justice, working in conjunction with Turkey’s Justice and Foreign Ministries. Investigators claimed Israeli forces carried out deliberate and sustained attacks against civilians in Gaza, framing the actions as part of a coordinated campaign.

Prosecutors cited multiple episodes as the foundation for their charges, most notably the October 17, 2023 explosion at Gaza’s Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital — an incident later attributed to a misfired Islamic Jihad rocket. Nonetheless, Turkish authorities included it in their indictment as evidence of Israel’s alleged intent.

Another case referenced in the report was the April 1, 2024 strike that killed World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers. Then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said at the time that the incident stemmed from “a case of misidentification” and emphasized that “the strikes were not meant to harm WCK workers.”

The Turkish prosecutor’s office further asserted that Israeli operations deliberately damaged civilian infrastructure, hindered humanitarian relief efforts, and limited access to medical aid. It also mentioned statements related to the Sumud Flotilla, a small-scale attempt to deliver supplies to Gaza that the IDF intercepted; the shipment on board amounted to less than a single truckload of aid.

This move marks a sharp escalation in the already tense relations between Israel and Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has grown increasingly hostile toward Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, intensifying his rhetoric and portraying Israel as the aggressor.

Relations between the two nations had been cautiously improving before Hamas’s surprise assault on Israel last year. However, Erdogan swiftly reversed tone, denouncing Israel in March as a “terror state” following targeted strikes on Hamas sites in Gaza.

By June, he went further, asserting that Netanyahu’s government “represents the most significant threat to Middle East security.”

Despite Erdogan’s harsh denunciations, Turkey has simultaneously participated in diplomatic efforts to calm the conflict, helping mediate the Gaza ceasefire under President Donald Trump’s broader peace framework.

{Matzav.com}

Israel on Friday evening took possession of a coffin containing the body of a murdered hostage, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed in a statement. “Israel has received, through the Red Cross, the coffin of a deceased hostage which was handed over to IDF and Shin Bet forces inside the Gaza Strip. From there, it will be transferred to Israel, where it will be received in a military ceremony with a military rabbi,” the statement said.

Following the solemn ceremony, the remains were to be taken to the National Center for Forensic Medicine under the Ministry of Health, where experts would conduct identification procedures. Once confirmed, the family of the hostage would be officially notified.

“All families of the deceased hostages have been updated on the matter, and in this difficult hour, our hearts are with them. The effort to return our hostages continues uninterrupted and will not cease until the last hostage is returned,” the Prime Minister’s Office added. Officials also urged the public to avoid speculation or sharing unverified information, stressing, “The public is requested to respect the privacy of the families and to refrain from spreading rumors and information that is not official and verified. We will continue to update with reliable information as required.”

Before the government announcement, the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed that the Red Cross had taken custody of the coffin and was bringing it to Israeli troops stationed in Gaza. “The IDF requests that the public act with sensitivity and wait for the official identification, which will first be provided to the families. Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages,” their joint statement read.

The development followed an earlier declaration by the Islamic Jihad terror group that it would deliver the body of a hostage to Israel through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The group said the Red Cross would pass the body to Israeli security forces inside the Gaza Strip, after which it would be transported to Israel for forensic examination.

Authorities confirmed that six slain hostages remain in Gaza: Meny Godard, Hadar Goldin, Ran Gvili, Dror Or, Lior Rudaeff, and Sudthisak Rinthalak.

Under President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, Hamas had been obligated to return all remaining hostages—alive or deceased—within 72 hours. While the terror group released all 20 living captives on schedule, it has delayed the repatriation of the bodies.

Earlier this week, on Wednesday night, Hamas returned the body of foreign student Joshua Loitu Mollel, who was among those killed and held in Gaza.

{Matzav.com}

James D. Watson, the scientist who forever changed biology with his discovery of the DNA double helix, has passed away at the age of 97, according to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he spent much of his career.

In 1953, at just 24 years old, the young Chicago-born researcher and his partner Francis Crick revealed that DNA was composed of two intertwined strands forming a graceful, spiraling ladder — a revelation that reshaped modern science. The model not only explained how genetic information is encoded but also how life replicates itself, with the strands separating like a zipper to reproduce identical copies.

For this revolutionary insight, Watson shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Crick and Maurice Wilkins. The discovery became one of the most recognized symbols in science — immortalized in art, postage stamps, and classrooms around the world.

“The discovery of the century, that was pretty clear,” Watson once reflected. “There was no way we could have foreseen the explosive impact of the double helix on science and society.” His work paved the way for advances in genetic medicine, crime forensics, ancestry tracing, and the mapping of the human genome — but it also ignited complex ethical debates over the limits of genetic engineering.

Despite his scientific stature, Watson’s later years were marked by deep controversy. His public comments about race and intelligence sparked international outrage and overshadowed his achievements. In 2007, The Sunday Times Magazine quoted him saying he was “inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa” and claimed that “all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours — where all the testing says not really.” He added, “people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true.”

Watson quickly apologized, but the backlash was swift. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory suspended him from his position as chancellor, and he retired soon afterward, ending nearly four decades of leadership at the institution. A decade later, in a 2019 PBS documentary, he doubled down when asked if his views had changed, replying, “No, not at all.” The lab responded by stripping him of all honorary titles, condemning his statements as “reprehensible” and “unsupported by science.”

His complicated legacy drew both admiration and condemnation. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said in 2019 that Watson had shown “a regrettable tendency toward inflammatory and offensive remarks, especially late in his career.” Collins added, “His outbursts, particularly when they reflected on race, were both profoundly misguided and deeply hurtful. I only wish that Jim’s views on society and humanity could have matched his brilliant scientific insights.”

Outside his controversies, Watson continued to shape the field of biology through his teaching, textbooks, and leadership. He played a pivotal role in the early stages of the Human Genome Project, encouraged young researchers, and used his influence to advocate for government support of scientific research.

Known for his sharp tongue and impatience with convention, Watson often spoke candidly about science and success. “A goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid,” he wrote in The Double Helix, his best-selling 1968 memoir. “You have to avoid dumb people. … Never do anything that bores you. … If you can’t stand to be with your real peers (including scientific competitors) get out of science. … To make a huge success, a scientist has to be prepared to get into deep trouble.”

{Matzav.com}

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly told allies that he believes Vice President JD Vance is the Republican Party’s clear frontrunner for the 2028 presidential race—and that he would stand aside to back him if Vance enters the contest, according to Politico.

“Marco has been very clear that JD is going to be the Republican nominee if he wants to be,” a source close to Rubio told the outlet. “He will do anything he can just to support the vice president in that effort.”

Rubio, who has long been seen as a potential contender himself, has publicly praised Vance in the past. In July, he declared that the Ohio vice president would be “a great nominee.”

Within the White House, Politico reported, the prevailing assumption is that the 2028 Republican ticket could feature “JD as [nominee] and Rubio as VP.”

Vance himself has leaned into that speculation with humor. During an interview last week on “Pod Force One,” he said, “I mentioned it to the secretary in jest, but it feels so premature, because we’re still so early,” referring to the possibility of running alongside Rubio. He also revealed that President Donald Trump “mentioned” the idea months ago.

Polls appear to back Rubio’s assessment. A recent Politico survey found that 35% of Trump’s 2024 voters want Vance to run for president in 2028, while only 2% named Rubio as their preferred choice.

For Rubio, the conversation marks a full-circle moment from his own presidential ambitions nearly a decade ago. The Florida senator’s 2016 campaign emphasized “a next generation of conservative leadership,” branding him as a youthful, optimistic alternative to both establishment figures like Jeb Bush and anti-establishment challengers such as Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

After launching his campaign in April 2015, Rubio gained momentum with strong debate performances and respectable early finishes — third in Iowa and second in South Carolina. But Trump’s commanding dominance in the primaries soon overshadowed his rise.

When Rubio lost his home state of Florida to Trump by almost 20 points in March 2016, he ended his campaign. Trump went on to secure the Republican nomination and ultimately defeated Hillary Clinton in the general election.

Now, nearly a decade later, Rubio appears ready to play a different role — as a loyal ally helping to shape the next phase of Trump-era Republican leadership, with JD Vance at its helm.

{Matzav.com}

As previously reported, police are investigating whether a cellphone found Friday morning off the coast of Herzliya belongs to former Military Advocate General, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, whose case has drawn national attention.

According to details released, the device was discovered powered on and half-charged in the shallow waters of Tzuk Beach. A source close to the investigation told Channel 12, “It’s definitely the former Military Advocate General’s phone.” However, police officials cautioned that “there are significant doubts,” noting the unusual condition of the device.

“The phone was turned on and partially charged despite supposedly being underwater for five days,” an officer explained. “Had it turned on at any point, we would have received a signal and located it ourselves during the search. That’s why we’re skeptical.” The phone has been transferred to the Cyber Unit for forensic analysis.

The device was found by a 50-year-old woman who was wading in the water and spotted something glinting beneath the surface. “I saw something in the shallow water, picked it up, and realized it was an iPhone,” she told Channel 12. “I turned it on, and the screen showed a picture of the former Military Advocate General. I immediately called the police.”

Police and municipal security forces arrived quickly to retrieve the phone, but not before chaos erupted on the scene. Several metal detector hobbyists who had gathered nearby clashed over who would hand the device to the authorities, leading to a brief scuffle that officers had to break up.

Meanwhile, the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court approved Tomer-Yerushalmi’s release to ten days of house arrest and barred her from contacting other individuals involved in the case for 55 days.

An investigative source told N12 that the probe continues to uncover new information: “We’re concerned about the circle of silence around her, but the evidence is aligning, and there has been significant progress.” The source added that eight officers had known about the leak for over a year but failed to report it, “likely because they feared her, as she was their commander.”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump has officially granted clemency to baseball icon Darryl Strawberry, a move that erases the federal stain from the slugger’s 1995 tax fraud conviction. Strawberry, who once dominated Major League Baseball as a star outfielder, previously served 11 months in a Florida prison for unrelated state drug charges.

“President Trump has approved a pardon for Darryl Strawberry, three-time World Series champion and eight-time MLB All-Star,” a White House official said.

The statement noted that “Mr. Strawberry served time and paid back taxes after pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion.”

Now 63, Strawberry was originally sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to repay $350,000 in back taxes as part of his plea deal nearly three decades ago.

The White House underscored that Strawberry’s life took a dramatic turn after his baseball and legal troubles. “Following his career, Mr. Strawberry found faith in Christianity and has been sober for over a decade – he has become active in ministry and started a recovery center which still operates today.”

Although the presidential pardon clears his federal record, it does not extend to his state-level convictions related to drug offenses, which were prosecuted separately in Florida courts.

The decision, celebrated by fans and faith-based supporters alike, recognizes Strawberry’s transformation from a troubled sports legend into a symbol of redemption and recovery.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump unleashed a barrage of criticism on Friday following Nancy Pelosi’s announcement that she would step down at the end of her current term, accusing her of corruption and celebrating her exit from Congress.

On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Nancy Pelosi, the old and broken political hack who impeached me twice and lost, is finally calling it ‘quits.’ She illegally made a fortune in the Stock Market, ripped off the American Public, and was a disaster for America. I’m glad to see the stench of Nancy Pelosi go!!!”

Trump, who has long accused Pelosi of unethical financial behavior, again suggested that her investment gains were not coincidental. “Crooked Nancy Pelosi, and her very ‘interesting’ husband, beat every Hedge Fund in 2024. In other words, these two very average ‘minds’ beat ALL of the Super Geniuses on Wall Street, thousands of them,” he wrote in a post from August. “It’s all INSIDE iNFORMATION! Is anybody looking into this??? She is a disgusting degenerate, who Impeached me twice, on NO GROUNDS, and LOST! How are you feeling now, Nancy???”

The New York Post, citing Bloomberg data, previously reported that Paul Pelosi’s trading activity earned a 54% return in 2024—far outpacing the S&P 500’s 25% gain. Trump has pointed to this performance as evidence of what he calls “inside information.”

Pelosi, 85, revealed Thursday that she will not run again when her current term ends in 2026, ending more than forty years in Congress. Her departure marks the close of one of the most consequential and controversial political careers in modern history.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump didn’t hold back. “I think she’s an evil woman. I’m glad she’s retiring. I think she did the country a great service by retiring,” he said. “I think she was a tremendous liability for the country.”

Their bitter rivalry has defined years of Washington politics, from her leadership of the two impeachment efforts against him to her dramatic gesture of tearing up his 2020 State of the Union address on live television.

Pelosi’s decision comes amid growing calls within the Democratic Party for generational change. Younger figures, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are increasingly seen as the party’s future.

As the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House, Pelosi led her caucus through two nonconsecutive tenures—from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. She was instrumental in passing President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act and became a symbol of her party’s progressive agenda, something critics like Trump blame for economic and border crises.

Trump, however, framed her retirement as a relief for the country and another personal victory. “She was rapidly losing control of her party,” he said Thursday. “I’m very honored she impeached me twice and failed miserably twice. Nancy Pelosi is a highly overrated politician.”

The U.S. Army is preparing for a historic leap in unmanned aerial power, setting its sights on acquiring at least one million drones within the next two to three years. The plan represents a dramatic expansion from its current pace—roughly 50,000 drones annually—and is aimed at ensuring American forces are never outmatched in future conflicts.

Army Secretary David Driscoll explained that the overarching goal isn’t just to stockpile drones, but to establish a self-sustaining U.S. manufacturing base capable of meeting wartime demands. “His priority is getting the United States into a position where it can produce enough drones for any future war, stimulating domestic production of everything from brushless motors and sensors to batteries and circuit boards,” officials said.

That mission faces a formidable obstacle: much of the global drone component supply chain currently runs through China. From camera sensors to critical flight-control chips, Chinese factories dominate the industry—a vulnerability the Pentagon now views as a national security risk.

The move to supercharge domestic drone production follows lessons learned from the ongoing war in Ukraine, where small, low-cost drones have proven to be devastatingly effective on the battlefield. These cheap devices, capable of reconnaissance and precision strikes, have reshaped modern warfare.

Driscoll noted that Ukraine and Russia are each producing around 4 million drones annually. “China is probably able to produce more than double that number,” he warned—underscoring the urgent need for the U.S. to close the gap before the next major conflict tests its readiness.

{Matzav.com}

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror organization announced today that it will transfer the body of an Israeli hostage to Israel later tonight.

In a brief statement released this evening, the group said it intends to hand over the remains through mediators but did not identify the hostage by name.

According to Israeli authorities, the bodies of six slain hostages are still being held in Gaza.

{Matzav.com}