Rav Gershon Ribner, rosh kollel of Kollel Nesivos Hatorah and son-in-law of Rav Shneur Kotler, has succeeded in applying classical Talmudical analysis and methodology to understanding all areas of Yiddishkeit, bringing out its profundity and sense.
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President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to mock the declining viewership of liberal media and late-night hosts, celebrating the cancellation of a prominent show. He used the moment to jab at those he’s long accused of pushing partisan narratives disguised as humor.
“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,” Trump wrote in his post. “His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!
Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show.”
CBS has announced the end of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, citing budgetary concerns as the primary reason. The show is set to conclude in May, ending a run that featured Colbert as one of Trump’s most vocal critics in late-night television.
The timing of the network’s decision came shortly after Colbert ridiculed a recent agreement reached between Trump and Paramount Global, which owns CBS. The settlement stemmed from a 60 Minutes segment that was accused of manipulating footage of Kamala Harris during a critical point in the 2024 election cycle.
During his Monday night monologue, Colbert reacted to the news, saying he felt “offended” and quipped that the agreement was nothing more than “a big fat bribe.”
Paramount and CBS addressed the situation in a joint statement, saying the decision to end the show was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount.”
{Matzav.com}
Annie Tomasini, who served as deputy chief of staff under President Joe Biden, invoked the Fifth Amendment during a congressional deposition on Friday, becoming the third former White House official to do so amid a growing probe into the president’s mental acuity. Republican lawmakers allege that her silence is part of a larger effort to obscure the truth.
“There is now a pattern of key Biden confidants seeking to shield themselves from criminal liability for this potential conspiracy,” said House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), following Tomasini’s refusal to answer whether she was “instructed to lie” by the White House about Biden’s condition.
Comer further stated, “She also pleaded the Fifth when asked if she ever advised President Biden on the handling of classified documents found in his garage, if President Biden or anyone in the White House instructed her to conceal or destroy classified material found at President Biden’s home or office, and if she ever conspired with anyone in the White House to hide information regarding the Biden family’s ‘business’ dealings.”
“It’s apparent they would rather hide key information to protect themselves and Joe Biden than be truthful with the American people about this historic scandal,” Comer added, pointing to what he described as a troubling pattern of evasion.
Tomasini has longstanding ties to Biden, having started her political career nearly 30 years ago as his press secretary when he led the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Although she initially agreed to testify voluntarily, she changed course earlier in the week. Her legal team ultimately requested that she be formally subpoenaed to appear before the Oversight Committee.
On Thursday, Republicans on the panel announced plans to expand their inquiry into concerns over Biden’s cognitive state and the use of autopen signatures. They plan to hold additional hearings in the coming months.
The next round of testimony is expected to include four more Biden associates, including former press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, all of whom have been asked to participate in voluntary, recorded interviews starting this fall.
Ian Sams, who previously worked as a spokesman for the White House counsel’s office, is scheduled to meet with the committee on August 21.
He will be followed by Andrew Bates, Biden’s former senior deputy press secretary.
Karine Jean-Pierre, whose recent public break with the administration and new book project have drawn attention, is slated to appear on September 12 to respond to questions from committee members.
Other individuals close to the president will also be brought in for questioning, including Ron Klain, who is expected to testify next week before the Oversight Committee.
{Matzav.com}
In a conversation with Asharq Al-Awsat, the Hamas representative expressed cautious optimism about a potential breakthrough, citing Israel’s new IDF troop movement maps as a constructive gesture. He remarked that this shift could help foster a political environment more amenable to compromise.
He explained that the negotiations have reached a pivotal and delicate juncture, with both parties working through complex terms and conditions that could shape the outcome of any eventual agreement.
The official said Hamas is focused on ending what he described as ongoing “aggression” and efforts at “annihilation,” while pushing for a broad accord that would involve the release of ten hostages in return for freeing Palestinian security detainees.
He underscored Hamas’s core demand by stating, “Any real progress must be based on a clear Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, as this is a non-negotiable condition.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
Rabbi Tamir Granot, head of Yeshivat Orot Shaul and father of the fallen IDF officer Captain Amatai Hy”d, released a heartfelt video in response to recent harsh rhetoric by chareidi politicians against the Religious Zionist community, particularly regarding the contentious draft law.
His comments come in the wake of remarks by MK Moshe Gafni, who called for a complete political separation from the Religious Zionists, stating that “a get [divorce] must be given to the partnership with Religious Zionism.”
Rabbi Granot, addressing the pain exposed by the war, said, “This war has cracked something delicate in the heart of the home—when one brother is fighting, and the other continues life as usual. But especially now, we must not sever the bond.”
He described the growing divide within Israeli society, even within families, where some serve nearly a full year in reserve duty, risking their lives, while others remain unaffected. “This gap isn’t new,” he said, “but the war has deepened it. Anger, disappointment, alienation—these emotions surface, and sometimes they evolve into disconnection.”
Many are asking, he noted, “Should we break the connection? Is there still something that binds us together?” His answer: “Especially now—we must not disconnect.”
“We don’t give a get,” Rabbi Granot stressed. “Our relationship with the chareidim must remain the bridge. The answer is not distancing, but listening. The connection is the bridge—even if it’s hard, even if there’s silence. Because the moment we let go of that connection, there’s no more chance of building a bridge.”
He urged empathy, asking his audience to see the other side not as indifferent or harmful, but as people living in a different reality. “Maybe they’re afraid. Maybe they’re trapped. Maybe it’s not by choice.”
“Change won’t come through estrangement—it will come through love,” he continued. “And it’s precisely when the pain is strongest, when the gap is most deeply felt, that we must speak.”
Rabbi Granot emphasized that real transformation can only occur when dialogue remains possible. “Our brother who lives differently is not a bad person. He sees the world differently, follows different leadership, worries about his place, his shidduch. And we, too, have our weaknesses—not just our chareidi brothers. They’re different weaknesses, but we also have to learn and grow. Change happens through love. There’s so much good in the chareidi world, and we can and should talk about it. And when we do, we can also speak honestly about our pain—not to suppress it, not to hide it. Because where there is love and respect, there is room for rebuke.”
“Speak truth,” Rabbi Granot concluded. “Don’t hold back your pain—but don’t give up on your brother. You don’t break a family. And you don’t break a nation.”
{Matzav.com}As negotiations intensify over a potential agreement with Hamas to release some of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, senior rabbinic figures from the Religious Zionist community issued a forceful public statement Thursday warning that a partial deal would compromise the objectives of the war, put Israel’s security at risk, and endanger the lives of hostages who would remain in captivity.
The rabbis stressed their deep solidarity with the families of the hostages and victims of terror, as well as with the soldiers and their families. “We stand with the families of the hostages, the bereaved families, and the brave families of our fighters who carry the true spirit of the nation,” the statement read. “We call for the return of the hostages through the defeat of the enemy.”
In their strongly worded letter, the rabbis described the proposed deal as both “dangerous” and detrimental to national unity. “A partial agreement currently being formulated is a dangerous deal. It harms, first and foremost, the goal of the war—victory—and it damages the people of Israel and their unity,” they wrote. “A partial deal also puts the remaining hostages at greater risk, potentially condemning them to many more months, if not years, of captivity.”
They further cautioned that a ceasefire would allow Hamas to regroup and regain strength. “The deal endangers Israel’s security. Hamas terrorists will exploit the lull to rebuild their military capabilities and morale and strike at our soldiers again. They will view the agreement as a capitulation by Israel. Halting the war and withdrawing from the field could, Heaven forbid, lead to significant losses among our forces.”
The rabbis urged the Israeli government to continue the war effort until Hamas is decisively defeated. “We have a duty to defeat the enemy completely—to destroy their settlements and expel all of their leadership from our land. When Hamas is preoccupied with its survival, it will surrender. Only then can life in our country return to a healthy and secure path,” the statement concluded.
The letter was signed by a wide array of Religious Zionist rabbonim: Rav Dov Lior, Rav Yaakov Ariel, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Rav Eitan Eiseman, Rav Yosef Artziel, Rav Moshe Gantz, Rav David Chai HaCohen, Rav Uri Cohen, Rav Michael Hershkowitz, Rav Elyakim Levanon, Rav David Dudkevitz, Rav David Fendel, Rav Uriel Spaz, Rav Nataniel Yosifun, and Rav Baruch Wieder.
{Matzav.com}
In a swift response to public criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Housing and Construction Minister Chaim Katz on Thursday dismissed his chief of staff, Moti Babchik, a senior figure in Agudas Yisroel and close associate of MK Yitzchak Goldknopf.
The dismissal came just hours after Babchik launched a scathing verbal attack on Netanyahu over the handling of the coalition agreements with the chareidi parties. In an interview published Thursday morning in Mishpacha magazine, Babchik accused the prime minister of breaching promises to his chareidi coalition partners and shirking responsibility for the growing political crisis.
“We stood with him all the way and in this term we gave him a fully right-wing government,” Babchik said. “We were loyal to him… He keeps saying, ‘Yes, yes, I’ll take care of it,’ and every time there’s a different excuse. First it was the reform [judicial overhaul], now it’s the war… I signed with you—תתאבד [literally, ‘kill yourself’ over this].”
Babchik blamed Netanyahu personally for failing to uphold the agreements made with the chareidi parties, particularly on issues of budget and yeshiva funding. “There’s no funding for the yeshivos, no new outlook… Even equating chareidi youth groups with those of the general public is written in the coalition agreement, and the Education Ministry still hasn’t done it,” he said.
He rejected any attempts to shift the blame away from the prime minister. “You can’t say ‘we fulfilled everything except the draft clause.’ He didn’t give us that. You can’t point fingers at others. The person responsible is the prime minister. He is the head of Likud, he is the prime minister, he signed the coalition agreement, and he must carry it out.”
Following his dismissal, Babchik issued a statement of defiance, standing by his comments. “No one can silence the truth,” he said. “Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should look no further than the modern-day Achithofels who advised him on how to deceive the gedolei Yisroel and lie to his loyal coalition partners who stood with Likud through thick and thin—and were repaid with betrayal.”
He added, “The support of the chareidi parties has always been and will continue to be given only to those who act in genuine partnership to protect the Torah world and the values of Judaism and tradition in Israel.”
According to Babchik’s office, despite his firing by Minister Katz, he will continue in his role as chief of staff to MK Yitzchak Goldknopf, chairman of United Torah Judaism, and will remain active in efforts to ensure that Torah learners are not treated as criminals. “He will continue his work to guarantee that in the State of Israel, Torah learners are not turned into offenders and their basic rights are not violated,” the statement said.
{Matzav.com Israel}
Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee MK Yuli Edelstein responded Friday morning to the controversy surrounding the proposed draft law and dismissed accusations that he was attempting to topple the government under the guise of promoting recruitment reform.
“I want, have wanted, and will continue to want one thing—a real draft law. It may not be perfect in everyone’s eyes, but it provides the IDF with a solution through a gradual enlistment of chareidim,” Edelstein said in an interview with Maariv.
He stressed that the legislation he is advancing is substantial and meaningful: “This is a serious law—with personal and institutional sanctions, real numbers, and strict oversight. This law puts an end to the phenomenon of pretending to be Torah learners. In my eyes, that’s a disgrace to the Torah world,” he said.
Edelstein also addressed claims that he was working behind the scenes to bring down the Netanyahu government. “There was no need to explain to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that I’m not trying to bring down the government,” he said. “Netanyahu never believed those fear-mongering stories—that I’m aligned with Lapid, Bennett, or Eisenkot. Not even Yair Golan. I respect the prime minister’s intelligence. He knows there’s no truth to it.”
Edelstein made it clear that he has no intention of leaving the Likud party or joining any other political faction.
When asked whether Netanyahu might consider removing him from his position due to pressure from chareidi parties, Edelstein replied, “I don’t think that’s being seriously considered. That wouldn’t be a responsible move. Firing me would kill any chance of passing the law in this term. I’m not naïve about political scenarios, but I’m not afraid and I have no intention of changing my position. My conscience is completely clear. Maybe that’s why I don’t lash out or use foul language. When people have no arguments, they start yelling. They know I’m right.”
{Matzav.com Israel}U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee issued a stern warning to Interior Minister Moshe Arbel on Wednesday, cautioning that the current tensions over visa policies for Christian groups could lead to the U.S. tightening visa access for Israelis.
“This is not the relationship Israel wants to have with its best partner and friend,” Huckabee wrote in a letter expressing frustration over what he described as bureaucratic roadblocks within the Interior Ministry that have hindered Christian institutions and workers seeking visas to operate in Israel.
Huckabee criticized recent changes implemented by the Visa Department, noting that since the start of 2025, officials have stopped accepting longstanding recommendations for visa approval. Instead, each evangelical organization is now being scrutinized on an individual basis to determine whether it qualifies as a religious entity. Among those being re-evaluated are well-known groups such as the Baptist Conference in Israel and the Christian Missionary Alliance—many of which, Huckabee pointed out, have had a presence in Israel dating back to before 1948. “As of the beginning of 2025, the Visa Department has stopped honoring the recommendations and has launched an independent investigation of each of the evangelical organizations to determine whether they should be recognized as religious institutions and whether they should continue to receive visas. This includes organizations such as the Baptist Conference in Israel, the Christian Missionary Alliance and others, some of which have been active here since before 1948. The vast majority of them are located in the United States. All of them were required to fill out huge questionnaires. To my knowledge, none of them have received new A3 visas for religious leaders since the beginning of the year. We simply requested that the visa department return to status quo,” Huckabee wrote.
Huckabee, representing President Donald Trump, emphasized the seriousness of the matter, saying that failure to resolve the issue could result in public backlash across the U.S. “As the U.S. Ambassador representing President Donald Trump, I am formally demanding that this deteriorating relationship with the Department of State be resolved so that this matter does not escalate further,” Huckabee added. “It would be deeply regrettable if our embassy were to be forced to publicly announce throughout the United States that the State of Israel no longer welcomes Christian organizations and their representatives and that, instead, it is engaging in harassment and negative treatment of organizations with longstanding ties and positive engagement with Zionism. We will be further obligated to warn Christians in America that their generous donations to organizations in Israel are being met with hostility, and that tourists should reconsider travel until the situation is clearly resolved.”
He also stressed the significant role that Christian travelers play in both strengthening Israel’s image abroad and contributing economically. Huckabee said the sudden reversal of long-established visa practices is both confusing and disheartening. According to him, these changes are not only harmful to Christian outreach but could also harm Israel’s relationship with millions of supporters. “Christian tourism to Israel is an important source not only of revenue, but also of goodwill and support for the State of Israel. Your Department of Tourism can attest to these facts. The close partnership between the United States and Israel is at an all-time high, having just concluded a joint military operation that will hopefully reduce the threat of Iranian nuclear ambition. Our formal and heartfelt request to return to the ‘status quo’ of normal visa practices, which has been denied and even aggravated, is shocking and a source of inexplicable disappointment. We are not asking for special or exceptional treatment. We are simply asking for the continuation of the long-standing policy that has been in place for generations.” We feel that we are being treated as adversaries.”
In response, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel defended his office’s conduct, saying that he has personally ensured swift handling of all visa applications brought to his attention. He expressed surprise at the tone and scope of Huckabee’s letter, particularly since, he said, there was already an open line of communication between the ambassador’s team and his own. “To the best of my knowledge, and following a re-examination conducted in coordination with the attorney acting on your behalf, every request that was personally brought to my attention was handled in an exceptionally short time. I have issued the same instructions regarding the cases mentioned in your letter – cases that were not previously brought to my attention. Given the direct line of communication between my staff and your representatives, and in light of the fact that every request received by my office has been handled so far promptly, I was particularly surprised by the manner in which you raised your concerns and your decision to address a wide range of senior officials in your letter without first contacting me or my office directly. In my opinion, this course of action deviates from accepted working norms and does not reflect the direct and structural relationship we have established.”
Arbel closed his reply by reaffirming the importance of the Israeli-American alliance and calling for continued cooperation rooted in mutual trust and respect. “The relationship between the United States and the State of Israel is among the most valued and meaningful partnerships. I greatly appreciate your consistent support for Israel and your strong commitment to our partnership. For this reason, I believe it is our duty to act in a spirit of coordination, mutual trust, and respect – even when misunderstandings or difficulties arise,” Arbel concluded.
{Matzav.com}
A vehicle carrying Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf, Chabad emissary and chief rabbi of Kherson, was hit by a drone Thursday evening while he and his family were traveling near the southern Ukrainian city. Though the front of the car sustained serious damage, no one was hurt in the incident.
Local Ukrainian law enforcement arrived swiftly at the scene and opened an investigation into the attack. Rabbi Wolf promptly alerted Chabad’s crisis response center in Ukraine, which continues to maintain close coordination with emissaries across the war-torn region.
“We are alive by an incredible miracle,” Wolf said in a statement. “We were on our way to Kherson, and about a kilometer and a half before the military checkpoint at the city’s entrance, a suicide drone exploded near us. My wife Chaya, my daughter Raizy and I are all safe. Thank God for the gift of life.”
Kherson, located in a strategically vital area of southern Ukraine, fell to Russian troops early in the invasion but was later retaken by Ukrainian forces in a major counteroffensive. The city’s liberation represented one of the most pivotal reversals for Moscow since the conflict began.
{Matzav.com}Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s office released a statement late Thursday night acknowledging and expressing sorrow after an IDF operation led to the deaths of three civilians at Gaza’s only Catholic church. The move followed a tense phone call between US President Donald Trump and the Israeli premier, during which Trump strongly criticized the incident.
“Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church,” the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office read. “Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful.”
Although the message came from Netanyahu’s office, it was not issued in his name personally. The statement also included an expression of appreciation to Pope Leo XIV for his words following the incident. The pope had released a statement mourning the lives lost in the church strike and renewed his call for a ceasefire, though he refrained from explicitly blaming Israel.
“Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites,” the PMO continued.
Earlier in the evening, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told journalists that Trump had directly contacted Netanyahu after hearing about the church strike Thursday morning.
When asked how Trump responded to news of civilian casualties in Gaza, Leavitt didn’t mince words. “It was not a positive reaction.”
She said the Israeli prime minister agreed during the conversation to issue a public explanation, clarifying that the deadly strike on the church had been unintentional.
Soon after that conversation, the IDF released a statement saying that fragments from a tank shell fired in Gaza City were responsible for the damage to the church building.
Following an initial probe, the Israeli military said the church was inadvertently struck during active combat. “It emerged that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly,” the IDF stated, adding that a more thorough investigation was ongoing.
“The IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them,” the military added.
Photos from the aftermath showed significant damage to the church, with part of the structure torn apart near the large stone cross that marked the building’s façade. Several windows were also shattered.
The Foreign Ministry issued its own earlier statement on the matter, saying that Israel “expresses deep sorrow over the damage [to the church] and over any civilian casualty” and affirming that the country “never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians.”
Medical staff at al-Ahli hospital reported that two women were killed in the incident, with a third fatality, a man, later succumbing to injuries. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem identified the victims as Najwa Abu Daoud, Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, and Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad.
Among those injured was Parish Priest Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, a close associate of the late Pope Francis, with whom he was said to speak nightly during the Gaza conflict.
The Holy Family Church had served as a refuge not just for Christians but also for Muslims, including children with disabilities, according to Fadel Naem, the acting director of Al-Ahli Hospital, which treated the wounded.
Gaza’s Christian population, estimated at around 1,000 among the enclave’s two million residents, is mostly Orthodox. However, the Latin Patriarchate reports that approximately 135 Catholics reside in the Strip.
Since the outbreak of the war in October 2023, many Catholic families have taken shelter in the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City. Several Orthodox Christians have also sought safety there amid the violence.
The protracted conflict has created an acute humanitarian crisis across Gaza. In the 21 months since the war began, the overwhelming majority of the population has been displaced, often multiple times, with severe shortages of food, medicine, and other basic necessities continuing to worsen the situation.
{Matzav.com}
As tensions mount within the governing coalition and security concerns escalate across the region, a new poll conducted for Maariv reveals a notable shift in Israeli public opinion—most significantly, a jump in support for Likud and widespread opposition to the government’s proposed draft law. The survey, carried out by Lazar Research under Dr. Menachem Lazar in collaboration with Panel4All, reflects growing uncertainty surrounding key national issues, including the Gaza war, Syria crisis, and hostage negotiations.
Likud Gains While Bennett Weakens with Eisenkot’s Entry
The poll analyzed two primary political scenarios: one in which Naftali Bennett runs independently, and a second where both Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot run separately.
In the first scenario, with Bennett leading a new party on his own, Likud leads with 26 Knesset seats. Bennett would secure 22, followed by Yisrael Beiteinu with 11, the Democrats with 10, Shas with 9, and Yesh Atid with 8. United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit each garner 7, Blue and White receives 6, Ra’am and Hadash-Ta’al each take 5, Religious Zionism earns 4, and Balad, with just 1.8% support, fails to cross the electoral threshold.
In the second scenario, where Eisenkot enters the race alongside Bennett, Likud holds steady at 26 seats. However, Bennett’s support drops to 18. Eisenkot draws 9 seats—matching the Democrats—while Yisrael Beiteinu drops slightly to 10, and Shas slips to 8. United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit, and Yesh Atid each score 7 seats. The National Unity Party, Ra’am, and Hadash-Ta’al each receive 5, Religious Zionism holds at 4, and Balad remains below the threshold with 1.8%.
The numbers suggest Likud’s strength is unaffected by fragmentation within the centrist bloc. Meanwhile, Bennett’s support declines by four seats when Eisenkot enters the race. Eisenkot’s debut showing of 9 seats is notable, though it comes at the expense of the broader center-left bloc.
Coalition Gains Ground—but Draft Law Faces Public Backlash
In terms of overall bloc strength, the coalition would secure 52–53 seats under the various scenarios—its strongest showing since Bennett began appearing in polls. The opposition stands at 57 seats, while Arab parties collectively account for 10.
Beyond electoral projections, the survey explored several key policy questions. A decisive 57% of respondents said the draft law being promoted by the government “harms national security.” Only 32% disagreed, while 11% were unsure.
Regarding the ongoing military operation in Gaza, public opinion is nearly evenly split: 44% believe the campaign will fail to meet its objectives, while 42% think it will succeed. A sharp political divide is evident: 73% of coalition supporters believe the operation will be successful, compared to 70% of opposition voters who expect it to fail.
Support for early elections is growing, with 48% favoring moving up the election date. In contrast, 33% oppose such a move, and 19% did not express a clear position.
The survey also revealed an unexpected level of backing for military involvement in Syria. When asked whether Israel should intervene militarily to protect the Druze population there, 47% said yes, 27% said no, and 25% were undecided.
{Matzav.com}
NYC Mayor Eric Adams is unfit to govern and has surrounded himself with an incompetent leadership team at the NYPD, charged former interim commissioner Tom Donlon in a searing interview with The NY Post on Thursday. Donlon, who recently filed a scathing federal lawsuit accusing top NYPD brass of criminal misconduct, held nothing back in his first public remarks since taking legal action.
Speaking candidly during an hour-long sit-down, Donlon slammed Adams as “feckless” and said his short stint overseeing the NYPD exposed deep dysfunction within the upper ranks of the department. “The way he handles the city, I would say that he’s morally corrupt,” Donlon said.
“I don’t think he’s morally qualified” to hold office, he continued, going on to say that Adams should “absolutely” not seek another term.
Donlon, a respected former FBI official brought in after Edward Caban resigned under a cloud of federal investigation, said he was given the impossible task of leading a department whose senior officials ignored him and undermined his authority. He accused those officials of sabotaging his leadership and cozying up to Adams behind his back, while the mayor dismissed his concerns.
“He’s leaderless and feckless. He’s not structured,” said Donlon. “Those guys I dealt with in the PD, they weren’t structured.”
In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, Donlon alleged that Adams and his inner circle turned the NYPD into a fiefdom of favoritism, where loyalty trumped merit and corruption flourished unchecked. He’s calling for federal oversight of the entire department.
As Donlon leveled these accusations, Adams was simultaneously outside City Hall celebrating endorsements from over a dozen law enforcement unions for his re-election campaign—a stark contrast to the blistering critique unfolding elsewhere in Manhattan.
After Adams replaced Donlon with Jessica Tisch as the new police commissioner last November, the embattled ex-commissioner was shifted to the mayor’s Office of Public Safety. Tisch has since been praised for implementing reforms and asserting control.
“The fact is she was given a lot more power than I had,” Donlon said on Thursday.
He rejected any notion that the timing of his lawsuit was politically motivated. Donlon claimed he always intended to reveal the misconduct he witnessed, but his plans accelerated after his dismissal—especially following his wife’s arrest in what he believes was retaliation. She has also filed a legal claim against the city.
Donlon said the Adams administration made a strategic mistake by removing him when it did. “He doesn’t look five steps ahead,” Donlon remarked. “If he was smart, he would have left me there and just shut his mouth and just continue on with his election.”
In court papers submitted to Manhattan federal court, Donlon said he was merely a figurehead while a corrupt group of insiders pulled the strings behind the scenes. They allegedly used his name and authority to advance their own agendas, handing out unearned promotions and overtime to allies.
Donlon claimed Adams knowingly looked the other way. On his very first day, the mayor reportedly told him to “back off these guys.”
“He couldn’t care less, he wouldn’t say a word,” Donlon told The Post of Adams.
The lawsuit describes a culture of unchecked misconduct led by former Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, his successor John Chell, current Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry, and Tarik Sheppard, who previously served as deputy commissioner for public information—all individuals closely tied to Adams.
Donlon said these officials used their positions to push favored candidates into promotions and hand out overtime benefits for political loyalty. “Kaz was a loose cannon, Chell was a loose cannon too. Maddrey was walking around trying to cut a deal for himself,” he said.
“I knew these clowns that I was working with didn’t like the feds, and they wanted to operate in their own world,” Donlon added. “Actually, they’re embarrassing themselves and the mayor doesn’t even understand that.”
He recounted a humiliating moment during a surprise promotion ceremony arranged by Sheppard. According to Donlon, Sheppard blindsided him with no prior notice or briefing, leaving him unprepared and flustered.
“It was done to embarrass me, make me look foolish,” Donlon said.
As the meeting ended, Donlon said he overheard Sheppard mock him under his breath: “Look at him, he doesn’t even know where to sit.”
None of the individuals named in the lawsuit, including Sheppard, Maddrey, Chell, or Daughtry, have publicly responded to the allegations.
City Hall spokesperson Kayla Mamelak dismissed Donlon as a bitter ex-official with a grudge, calling him “a disgruntled former employee” and “ineffective” in his brief tenure.
“Tom Donlon should have put in as much effort serving the people of New York City as interim police commissioner as he did putting together this baseless lawsuit,” Mamelak said Thursday.
This sharply critical tone differs drastically from the admiration Donlon received when first tapped to lead the NYPD—even after a federal search of his home for old classified materials. At the time, officials rallied behind him and even enlisted the support of Joseph Pistone, the famed FBI agent known as “Donnie Brasco.”
“I don’t have enough good things to say about the guy,” Pistone said at the time.
In response to the suit, Adams has since described Donlon publicly as a disgruntled former employee.
Other police figures have echoed the administration’s pushback, with some questioning Donlon’s mental acuity. “Yes, he was showing many signs of cognitive issues that he wasn’t up to the task of being police commissioner,” Sheppard claimed on Pix11 Wednesday night.
Donlon, appearing sharp and composed during his interview with The Post, categorically rejected that accusation.
His lawyer, John Scola, blasted the administration’s response. “The NYPD and City Hall keep calling Commissioner Donlon’s complaint ‘baseless,’ yet they refuse to address the detailed allegations—rampant fraud, meritless promotions, death threats, and obstruction of justice. Instead of attacking whistleblowers, the City should be cleaning its own house.”
{Matzav.com}
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House Republicans voted late tonight to approve a measure that would cancel $9 billion in foreign spending previously authorized by Congress, according to reports from NPR and PBS.
The legislation, known as a rescissions bill, passed narrowly with a 216-213 vote. Two Republican lawmakers—Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mike Turner of Ohio—broke ranks with their party and voted against it, joining all Democrats who were present.
The House needed to act before a Friday deadline to approve the plan, which was submitted to Congress by the White House in June. The proposal aimed to formalize recommendations from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut spending viewed as unnecessary.
The Senate had already passed its version of the bill early Thursday morning. Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, both Republicans, voted alongside the 46 Democrats who were in attendance to oppose the legislation.
In its final form, the bill reflects changes made in the Senate and now awaits President Trump’s signature before it becomes law.
Included in the rollback are nearly $8 billion previously designated for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), along with more than $1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR and PBS—both frequent targets of conservative criticism.
Although House Republicans initially passed a version of the bill last month, it became mired in the Senate, where lawmakers raised issues with specific cuts proposed in the legislation.
In response to pushback, the Trump administration ultimately agreed not to move forward with a planned $400 million reduction from a global AIDS relief program.
Democrats on the House Rules Committee tried to attach an amendment to the bill that would require the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, but Republicans on the committee rejected that effort.
Instead, GOP members advanced a symbolic resolution supporting the “public release of certain documents, records, and communications related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who had the option to deliver an extended speech under House rules, chose to keep his remarks brief, speaking for just 15 minutes Thursday evening.
That was in contrast to earlier this month, when Jeffries used his procedural privilege—nicknamed the “magic minute”—to delay passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act with a speech that lasted nearly nine hours, surpassing the previous record held by Kevin McCarthy of California.
Russ Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, is expected to send additional requests to rescind federal spending to Congress in the near future.
{Matzav.com}
In yet another move seen as targeting the chareidi community, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has ruled that tens of millions of shekels in government funding designated for yeshivos catering to struggling youth—commonly known as yeshivos for noshrim, dropouts—must be revoked. The institutions, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Welfare, were allocated 35 million shekels this year alone.
These yeshivos provide a lifeline for chareidi boys between the ages of 17 and 23, many of whom are considered at-risk or disconnected from standard educational frameworks. Most are of army enlistment age.
According to a report on Kan 11, the decision followed a petition submitted to the High Court after a previous ruling determined that these young men are obligated to enlist. The petition demanded that the state withhold funding from these yeshivos just as it does from avreichim who are legally obligated to serve in the IDF but are not exempted.
In response, Baharav-Miara concluded that state funds must be suspended for these institutions unless the students in question receive individual military exemptions. The government will soon present this legal position to the High Court.
The ruling has sparked outrage in the chareidi sector, which views it as a direct attack on vulnerable youth who already face significant personal and social challenges. Critics argue that cutting support for institutions dedicated to helping these young men is not only punitive but harmful to Israeli society as a whole.
{Matzav.com Israel}
In a moving and forceful address at the inauguration of a new Tshuvos V’Hanhagos kollel branch under his leadership, Rav Moshe Sternbuch declared, “Bnei Torah are not beggars.” The event marked the opening of a new branch in the rapidly growing neighborhood of Ramat Beit Shemesh Daled 3, responding to an urgent need for Torah infrastructure in the area.
The decision to establish the kollel came at the personal request of Rav Sternbuch, who was made aware of the spiritual distress facing the residents of this new neighborhood. Despite the influx of thousands of families, no functioning kollel existed within the area, and the only one that had operated there was on the brink of closing.
Ramat Beit Shemesh Daled has become one of the fastest-developing regions in Eretz Yisroel, already home to over 7,000 apartments, with plans for more than 11,000 units and an eventual population exceeding 100,000. It is expected to become one of the largest neighborhoods in the country. The community is made up of a broad mix—Litvaks, chassidim, Sephardim, and families from the Yishuv Hayashan, all drawn to its focus on kedushah and taharas hakodesh in its institutions.
Within Ramat Beit Shemesh Daled, the Daled 3 section is now home to over 3,000 families and continues to grow rapidly. Despite this, the absence of local kollelim has left hundreds of avreichim commuting to other neighborhoods, or, in some cases, going without a kollel altogether.
In response, community leaders approached Rav Sternbuch in recent days to share their deep concerns over the lack of Torah institutions. Many families, they explained, were struggling to maintain their connection to limud haTorah due to the absence of a local kollel.
Rav Sternbuch immediately instructed his son, Rav Chaim Ozer Sternbuch, head of the Tshuvos V’Hanhagos kollel network, to adopt the existing struggling kollel and incorporate it into their growing network. “A neighborhood without a kollel,” Rav Sternbuch said, “cannot be called a makom Torah. The entire spiritual future of this area depends on the establishment of a kollel committed to taharas hakodesh.”
Following this directive, an official inauguration and naming ceremony was held in Rav Sternbuch’s home. Also in attendance was Rav Chaim Uri Freund, member of the Badatz of the Eida Hachareidis. The event opened with a shiur from Rav Sternbuch on Maseches Sukkah, which is currently being studied in the network’s kollelim.
Rav Sternbuch expressed heartfelt joy at the establishment of the kollel, the only one currently operating in Daled 3. He then delivered a powerful critique of those who look down on Torah scholars and insinuate that they are a burden on society. “Bnei Torah are not beggars,” he said with force. “They carry the burden of Klal Yisroel on their shoulders.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
While the Skverer Rebbe was away in California for a brief period of rest, his private audience room, known among the chassidim as the Praveh Tzimmer (Reception Room), underwent an extensive renovation.
The opportunity for this major refurbishment came as the Rebbe spent several weeks in Carmel, California. With the Rebbe temporarily away from New York, intensive work began on upgrading and expanding the room in grand and dignified fashion.
Notably, the devotion of the Rebbe’s chassidim was on full display. As the sacred space was being restored, many were seen gathering leftover stone and construction fragments from the renovated Praveh Tzimmer, keepsakes from the room.
The renovation was comprehensive, including a full expansion and aesthetic upgrade. Special care was taken to preserve key elements, including the exact spot where the Rebbe stands for tefillah within the room.
This morning, the Rebbe returned to the Skverer enclave following his weeks of rest.
{Matzav.com}